Only Kashmir bound stranded vehicles at Udhampur to ply on highway

Srinagar: Only stranded vehicles at Udhampur are being allowed to ply on Wednesday on the 270-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, which connects Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, a traffic police official said.

No fresh vehicle will be allowed from Jammu today, he said.

No vehicle will be allowed from Kashmir valley for the second consecutive day on Wednesday, the official said.

Only one-way traffic was allowed after six days on the highway when Border Roads Organisation (BRO) installed 40 metric ton capacity bailey bridge at Kela Morh, where a retaining wall of main concrete bridge collapsed on January 10 evening. Work by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) on the main bridge was also going on war footing.

After clearing majority stranded vehicles, one-way traffic from Srinagar to Jammu was allowed on January 17 and 18. However, passengers alleged that there was massive traffic jam on both days due to some traffic movement from opposite direction on the highway.

However, on January 19 Jammu to Srinagar traffic was allowed, he said adding today vehicles stranded at Udhampur are allowed to move towards Kashmir.

No vehicle will be allowed from Srinagar to Jammu, official said.

Meanwhile, the 86-km-long historic Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region and Anantnag-Kishtwar road remained closed due to accumulation of snow and slippery conditions since December last year.
The authorities have already closed the national highway, the only road linking Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh with Kashmir since January 1, 2021 for winter months. (agencies)