BAT CELLAR, NC (WLOS) — The North Carolina Department of Transportation is debunking reports that West Virginia coal miners built an access road between Bat Cave and Chimney Rock, saying it was unsafe for vehicle traffic.

Posted videos of a connector road allegedly created between Bat Cave and Chimney Rock by West Virginia Coal miners have gone viral.

News 13 sent a crew to Bat Cave on US 64 the morning of November 1, to view the dirt road, but a barricade at the intersection of Brandon Forest Road and US 64 indicates that US 64 in Bat Cave remains closed.

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Despite the barricade, many motorists pass and head directly to Bat Cave.

A DOT spokesperson said the miners had not built a safe access road farther away, near Bat Cave.

“We appreciate the intentions of a West Virginia mining team,” said David Uchiyama, NCDOT spokesman. “This involves the creation of a path – not sufficient to support automobile traffic – south of Bat Cave, on private land and out of reach of transportation officials.”

Uchiyama later said the following in an email detailing the road work around Chimney Rock and Bat Cave:

Division 13 and 14 crews created some of the first connections — ATV trails — to reach residents stranded on U.S. Highway 64/74A, Uchiyama said. They are working north from Lake Lure, through Chimney Rock, to restore the road to the location of the washed out road and restore damage to private property.

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Uchiyama did not respond to specific questions about the road, but said he would provide more details later in the day after speaking with DOT officials.

A video posted to Instagram shows a time-lapse shot of a dirt road between Bat Cave and Chimney Rock believed to have been built by West Virginia coal miners.

The reports went viral this week on the Internet, West Virginia-based coal miners from Alpha Metallurgical Resources (AMR) brought in miners and worked to create an access road for the locals. The company, which responded to a company email Monday, said it declined to comment when asked whether its coal miners had come to Bat Cave.

The NCDOT spokesperson emailed details about work underway in the area:

• NCDOT and contract crews moved the Broad River west to reestablish a temporary two-lane gravel road where it should be located.
• They are working north of Lake Lure through Chimney Rock to restore the road to the location of the washed out road and restore damage to private property.
• NCDOT and contract crews moved the Broad River west to reestablish a temporary two-lane gravel road where it should be located.
• Construction of the upgraded road and temporary relocation of the river is expected to be completed in 4 to 6 weeks.
• For the foreseeable future, the two-lane gravel road will remain restricted to local traffic, construction and emergencies.
• NCDOT officials are currently drafting a contract to build a new road in the approximate location of the old road. The permanent restoration will be a Progressive Design Build project announced this week with an award expected in late November.
• The contract will include both design and construction.
• Exact construction dates will be determined in the contract.
• A rough estimate for construction – including river relocation – of US 64/74A is 2 to 3 years.