The Cedar Mountain Roundabout Began With the Shops Now Working Around It

"It is more difficult to ignore a roundabout," Barry Mosteller, NCDOT's Division 14 project manager, told the Transylvania Times while the Cedar Mountain project was still in planning. He was talking about drivers who roll past rumble strips, stop signs and traffic lights.

This fall the intersection is hard to ignore for another reason. The T-intersection where US 276 meets Cascade Lake Road is an active work zone. That's the turn south of Connestee Falls that leads to Hooker Falls and High Falls. According to its contract, the project runs through all of DuPont State Recreational Forest's busiest season and into the next one.

A request that came from the crossroads

NCDOT lists the project as HN-0031. The plan replaces the T-intersection with a roundabout 75 feet across, with a concrete truck apron so large vehicles can make the turn. NCDOT gives safety as the official reason.

The Transylvania Times reported where the idea came from. NCDOT spokesperson David Uchiyama told the paper the project addresses concerns about speeding and pedestrian safety that Cedar Mountain business owners raised first. The Land of Sky Rural Planning Organization and NCDOT paid for it through the Carbon Reduction Program, which sets money aside specifically for roundabouts. The Times called the decision the result of years of studies and revisions on that stretch of road. It also reported that 40 comments came in during the public comment period, which followed a public meeting and ran through May 9.

NCDOT's project page was last updated May 26, 2026. It estimates the total cost at $2.83 million, with $2.7 million for construction and $130,000 for right-of-way, and notes that costs may change. Construction started in summer 2026. The contractor is Site Development Corporation.

So the businesses at the crossroads asked for a slower, safer intersection. Right now, they're the ones keeping their doors open in the middle of the work.

What moved at the intersection

Cedar Mountain Moonshine is staying open its usual hours. It has opened a new entrance across from Cedar Mountain Cafe, which is at 10667 Greenville Highway. The distillery's notice to customers reads like a neighbor's update:

"Thank you for supporting our small businesses through yet, another PIVOT! We appreciate y'all!"

The bigger change for a morning drive is the CDRMTN Coffee Bar. The truck has left the intersection and is parked at Whistlestop Market and Wine, 7825 Greenville Highway, for the rest of 2026. That puts it at a lower address number on Greenville Highway than the crossroads, so you can get a coffee before you reach the cones.

One timing detail matters this week. Whistlestop's summer hours end October 5, and winter hours start October 6 and last through April 30. Check the posted schedule before planning around it.

The other usual stops on the corridor are where they've always been:

Why the work zone matters more in October

The Forest Service's own directions from Brevard take visitors south on US 276 and left onto Cascade Lake Road, then on to Staton Road and the High Falls access. Anyone who follows that route from Brevard to the forest's best-known waterfalls goes through the work zone.

The forest's FAQ lists October among DuPont's busiest months. It suggests arriving by 9 a.m., coming on a weekday, or showing up after 4 p.m. Parking is free in every lot. For Hooker Falls, the Forest Service points visitors to the Hooker Falls lot. For High Falls and Triple Falls, either the Hooker Falls or High Falls access works. No forest-wide shuttle or parking reservation system appears in the official visitor guidance.

The contract does build in some protection, though it's aimed at commuters. It bars lane narrowing or closures on any road from 7 to 8 a.m. and from 5 to 6 p.m. on weekdays, with extra limits around holidays. NCDOT hasn't published specific closure dates, flagging schedules or detours for the project. That means no announced reroute to DuPont via Little River Road or Staton Road.

The map inside the forest is also shorter than it was a few years ago. Friends of DuPont Forest posted its latest alert on September 22, 2026. It lists two temporary closures or advisories:

• The Triple Falls stairs. The foot-traffic section of Triple Falls Trail reopened in May 2025 after temporary Hurricane Helene repairs, but the washed-out steps are still closed.
• The Turkey Knob Trail bridge. The trail still works as an out-and-back up to the bridge.

The same alert names 11 trails or segments that are permanently closed and no longer on new maps: Bridal Overlook, Cart, Grassy Meadow, Joanna Road from Grassy Creek Trail to Pinnacle Mountain Road, Kids Bike, Lake View Loop, Nooks, the north half of Poplar Hill Loop, Sandy, Stone Mountain and Table Rock. Improvements on Buck Forest Road started September 28. Friends of DuPont doesn't expect them to close any roads or trails, and it asks visitors to stay alert in the work area.

Fewer trails plus October crowds plus one construction zone at the main turn all point to the same plan. Get through Cascade Lake Road early, and spend the rest of the day where the traffic isn't.

An October Saturday that works around the cones

The calendar south of Connestee makes that easy. Here's a sequence built from what's posted:

1. Get coffee at the CDRMTN truck at Whistlestop, which is on the Connestee side of the work zone.
2. Pass the intersection before 9 a.m. and park at the Hooker Falls lot, which serves both Hooker Falls and the walk up toward Triple and High Falls. Plan for the Triple Falls stairs to be closed.
3. Pick up lunch supplies at Cedar Mountain Outpost, open until 8 p.m. every day this month.
4. Finish at Cedar Mountain Canteen's free outdoor Bluegrass Jam, held every Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. through December 26.

Other dates fill in the weekdays. The Cedar Mountain community newsletter dated September 29 lists a BBQ fundraiser for the Cedar Mountain Community Center on October 12 at 6 p.m., with $15 plates for eat-in or take-out. It also lists a blood drive on October 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and the Canteen's annual Thanksgiving potluck starting at 3 p.m.

Closer to home, the Connestee Art League has a color-palette session on October 19 at 2 p.m. in the Hemlock Room. Its fall schedule then lists the Greenville Arts Studio Tour on November 13, followed by a painting-from-life event on November 16.

How long the crossroads stays a work zone

Business signs say "until May 2027," and that's accurate for the part drivers will notice. The contract sets out a longer schedule:

The May 2027 date is when traffic should be moving through the new layout. Finishing work can continue under the contract until November 2027, so next October's DuPont season may still see crews near the circle.

If you're thinking about how the stretch of US 276 between Connestee Falls and Cedar Mountain fits into your plans, whether that means a home near the corridor or questions about access during construction, the local team at Petit Properties would be glad to talk it through with you. Contact Us.