SRINAGAR: The national highway, the only all weather road connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, reopened for one-way on Thursday after remaining closed for two days.
”Today traffic will ply from Jammu to Srinagar only and no vehicle will be allowed from opposite direction”, a traffic police official told UNI this morning.
However, traffic on the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway, the only road connecting Union Territory (UT) Ladakh with Kashmir valley, remained suspended for the past one month on Thursday due to accumulation of over five feet snow and slippery condition. After Ladakh become UT it was decided to keep the Zojila pass, the most trouble spot on Srinagar-Leh highway open throughout the year. However, due to heavy snowfall and threat of avalanches and slippery road conditions due to below freezing temperature, the highway remained closed.
The historic 86-km-long Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, and Anantnag-Kishtwar road also remained closed for the past 30 days. There is no possibility of reopening of the road before April-May.
Traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway was suspended for the second consecutive day on Wednesday following fresh landslides. Even though there was no fresh snowfall and rain since on Tuesday, there were fresh landslides and shooting stones at several places.
However, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) put into service sophisticated machines and cleared the landslides and snow last evening, when stranded vehicles were allowed to move towards Kashmir.
He said today traffic will ply from Jammu to Srinagar only and no vehicle will be allowed from opposite direction to avoid traffic jam and accident. The Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) will have to cross Nagrota before 1200 hrs, he said, adding that no vehicle will be allowed after the dead line.
Later, he said, Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs), including those carrying essentials, and oil and LPG will be allowed in the afternoon. (AGENCIES)
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