The speed limit near the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center has been reduced from 55 mph to 45 mph.

This change addresses the seasonal increase in pedestrian and visitor traffic. Tim Hass, Communications Officer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, explained the decision. “Concerns were raised due to several close calls in the crosswalk,” he said in an email to the Island Free Press. “Lowering the speed was the best solution for that area.”

This new 45 mph speed limit on N.C. Highway 12 applies only to the area next to the Pea Island Visitor Center. The speed limit will revert to 55 mph in the fall.

Additionally, seasonal speed limit reductions began on May 15 in Hatteras Island’s villages. These reductions also apply to sections of N.C. Highway 12, such as between Avon and Buxton, and between Frisco and Hatteras, where summer traffic is high.