SRINAGAR: The national highway, connecting the Ladakh region with the Kashmir valley was closed for traffic due to fresh snowfall and slippery condtions, while the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway and historic Mughal road were through.
Meanwhile, Bandipora-Gurez road and Synthan-Kishtwar road remained closed. A traffic police official said there was fresh snowfall at Sonamarg, Zojila and Meenmarg besides at Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia.
He said the road has been closed due to snowfall and slippery condition. Vehicles from Leh and other parts of the Ladakh region were stopped at Drass and other places while all traffic was stopped at Sonmarg on this side of the Zojila pass.
Vehicles will be allowed only if there is improvement in the weather conditions and snow on the road is removed, he said, adding that only one-way traffic was being allowed on the highway for the past two weeks.
In the past, the highway was being closed for six winter months from November 1 every year. However, for the past few years, the road remained through due to good weather conditions.
This year, because of early snowfall and slippery road conditions due to below freezing temperature, traffic was suspended for majority days.
Official said the national highway, linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country was through for both ways. The Mughal road connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region was also through for traffic.
However, vehicles are being allowed only between 0900 hrs to 1600 hrs as the roads gets slippery due to considerable drop in the temperature in the evening and morning hours. (UNI)
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