Despite light snowfall, traffic plying normally on Srinagar-Jammu highway

Srinagar: Despite fresh snowfall disrupting traffic for some time in the morning, the 270-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, connecting Kashmir valley with rest of the country, was through for one-way traffic on Sunday.
However, the historic 86-km-long Mughal road, which was seen as an alternative to Srinagar-Jammu national highway in summer, remained closed for the past over three weeks due to heavy to very heavy snowfall. There is no chance to reopen the road before the next summer.
Meanwhile, the government has already announced the closure of Srinagar-Leh national highway, the only road linking Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh with Kashmir valley, for winter months due to accumulation of eight to ten feet of snow since January 1, 2021.
“One-way traffic is plying normally from Jammu to Srinagar on Kashmir highway despite light snowfall,” a traffic police officer told UNI.
He, however, said that the movement of vehicles from Jammu to Srinagar was delayed for over 1.5 hours due to slippery road conditions following fresh snowfall overnight. “Instead of allowing traffic from 0500 hrs, the Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) were allowed to pass Nagrota (Jammu) from 0630 hrs,” he said.
He said Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) were allowed to ply from Zig in Qazigund to Jammu after assessing the situation on the highway.
He said the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway, the only road linking Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh with Kashmir, remained closed since January 1. “There is more than eight feet to 10 feet of snow on the highway, including at Zojila pass, which has frozen due to below freezing temperature,” he added.
Similarly, the historic 86-km-long Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch and Anantnag-Kishtwar road, remained closed due to accumulation of snow for the past over three weeks. “These roads are likely to reopen in March-April,” officials said.