Tree blocks WV-161 in McDowell County, may slow travel

A tree blocked WV-161 at mile marker 5.0 in McDowell County, slowing travel in the Skygusty area and affecting drivers on the county’s main north-south connector.

WV511 listed the hazard on the Skygusty Highway, also known as the Elkhorn Mountain Highway, a route that runs entirely through McDowell County. The blocked stretch sits on the road that carries traffic between WV 16 in Bishop, near the Virginia line, and US 52 in Elkhorn.

The affected area is in Skygusty, an unincorporated community on WV-161. That puts the obstruction on a road many local drivers use for daily trips, including commuters, school traffic and residents moving between the southern and northern ends of the county. With the tree in the roadway at mile marker 5.0, travel through that section was likely slowed or interrupted until crews could reach it.

No detour route or clearance timeline had been posted with the report. WV511’s road-condition and travel-delay pages update in real time, so conditions along WV-161 could change quickly as West Virginia Division of Highways crews respond and work to clear the lane.

McDowell County sits in WVDOH District 10, which also covers Mercer, Raleigh and Wyoming counties. That district is responsible for highway response across a wide stretch of southern West Virginia, making WV511 the quickest public source for changing road conditions when obstructions like this one develop.

For drivers heading through Skygusty, the safest move was to check WV511 before leaving and stay alert for any new delay, closure or cleanup notice on WV-161. Because the highway is the only state route running through the community and links two major junctions for the county, even a single tree on the pavement can create a noticeable backup for local travel.