NCDOT to Proceed With Pinehurst Traffic Circle Redesign Despite Community Pushback

The North Carolina Department of Transportation will proceed with a traffic circle redesign in Pinehurst. This comes after the Moore County Board of Commissioners backed the plan this week. Yet the Village of Pinehurst passed a resolution in late February asking NCDOT to halt the changes.

The circle links N.C. Highways 211 and 2. NCDOT claims the redesign would boost traffic movement for Moore County and the Sandhills region.

Last summer, officials unveiled the newest design. It adds another lane inside the circle. New signals would go up, too.

Town leaders say the changes aren't needed and would harm the community's character. Pinehurst officials want NCDOT to shrink the scope and implement modifications gradually instead of launching one massive undertaking.

"We recognize and respect the Village Council's concerns that were outlined in a recent council resolution," an NCDOT spokesperson said, according to WRAL. "The circle, however, carries a critical regional function in the Sandhills, and the Department takes long-term planning and traffic modeling into account for highway projects."

Residents argue the plan would infringe on the property rights of certain homeowners, cause upheaval, and fail to improve safety. The plan has drawn criticism from residents after several wrecks occurred at the circle. They say it would damage the look and feel of the area.

The work will cost between $45 million and $50 million. Construction won't begin until 2031, per NCDOT's timeline. Completion is slated for 2034.