Traffic resumes on Srinagar-Jammu highway

SRINAGAR: One-way traffic resumed on Thursday on the 270-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only all weather road connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, after it remained suspended for two days due to landslides.

Meanwhile, the 86-km-long historic Mughal road and Anantnag-Kishtwar road remained closed due to accumulation of snow. We have allowed traffic from Srinagar to Jammu this morning, a traffic police official said.

However, vehicles will have to cross gateway of Kashmir, Qazigund before 1200 hrs, he said adding no vehicle will be allowed after the deadline. He said only one-way traffic will continue to ply on the highway till further orders.

There is also forecast for fresh rain and snow during the next 48 hours. Traffic on the highway was suspended on Tuesday at 1000 hrs following major landslides and shooting stones at Peedah in Ramban area, they said.

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), responsible for the widening and maintenance of the highway, immediately pressed into service sophisticated machines and men to put through the traffic.

Hundreds of vehicles, including those carrying passengers and trucks loaded with essentials, which were stranded after traffic was suspended and were allowed to move towards their respective destinations on Wednesday.

The historic Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region however remained closed. It has been closed for the past over two months. It will take about two more months to put through road which is seen as an alternative to the Srinagar-Jammu highway.

The Anantnag-Kishtwar road also remained closed due to snow.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Kashmir Monitor staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)