Rock Slide Blocks US 52 at Elkhorn in McDowell County

An official West Virginia 511 X alert reports a rock slide blocking US-52 (Coal Heritage Road at Elkhorn) in McDowell County, forcing traffic interruptions and prompting cautions for motorists. The WV511 alert text posted on X reads exactly: "Rock Slide on US-52 (Coal Heritage Road at Elkhorn). McDowell County." The captured alert showed 67 views at the time of the snapshot.

Local television coverage identifies multiple slide locations along U.S. 52. WVNSTV reported the slide "in the area near Premiere, WV" and said, "Rocks are blocking the eastbound lane near Bull Dog Hollow Road." WVNSTV’s item includes an image file name referencing Dec 7, 2017 - rock slide Route 52 Dec 7 2017_1512658198438.jpg - which appears with their coverage.

State crews have been active across southern West Virginia amid several rock and mudslides. WCHS Eyewitness News listed U.S. 52 closures in Delbarton for a mudslide and noted Hagerman Hollow Road closed in McDowell County, saying DOH crews were "working to clear several rock and mudslides on U.S. 52 overnight and Sunday morning." WCHS carried a safety advisory for motorists: "If you have to be out on the road, it is important to take it slow, never drive through high water, and make sure to turn your headlights on."

Historical incidents along the U.S. 52 corridor underscore the hazard for McDowell drivers. Williamson Daily News documented a separate event in which "A vehicle collided with a large rock slide that occured late on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020 at the intersection of Old. U.S. 52 and Armory Road just past the old Tunnel Drive Inn in Williamson, W.Va." That 2020 coverage credited Jarrid McCormick for photos showing the West Virginia Department of Highways bringing heavy machinery and a large jackhammer to break up boulders; the paper noted DOH worked "for nearly three days to clean up a massive rock slide" at that site.

Other recent slide responses in McDowell County have required emergency contracts and detours. The West Virginia Press Association reported a rockslide on County Route 1 between the Iaeger and Panther communities after April 6 that forced school bus detours "lasting more than two hours." Wvpress said the state Division of Highways approved an emergency contract with estimated work costs of approximately $25,000; DOH communications specialist Carrie Bly told reporters, "The contractor is making progress on the rockslide clean-up along county Route 1," and "We are still on track to have the roadway open to all traffic by Friday…"

At present, the WV511 alert pins the active blockage to Coal Heritage Road at Elkhorn while WVNSTV and WCHS report nearby and regional closures along U.S. 52 and adjacent county roads. Sources disagree on precise place names and file dates - WVNSTV’s item alternates Premiere/Premier spellings and carries a 2017 image filename - and the various reports document separate events from 2017, April (year unspecified), 2020 and the current WV511 alert. Officials in Charleston with the West Virginia Department of Highways are referenced across the coverage as the lead agency clearing slides; motorists in McDowell County should heed official advisories and avoid blocked segments while DOH crews and contractors work to clear debris.