Traffic resumes on Kashmir highway after clearance of landslides

Srinagar/Feb,: Traffic resumed on Saturday on Jammu-Srinagar highway, the only surface link connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country. The highway was shut  for weekly maintenance on last Friday after fresh landslides at several places on Ramban-Banihal track.However,Srinagar-Jammu highway, the only road linking Ladakh with Kashmir remained shut though snow clearance operation has almost been completed. Meanwhile, the 86-km-long historic Mughal road, linking Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region remained closed since December last year due to accumulation of snow, particularly at Pir-ki-Gali. However, massive snow clearance operation was going on Anantnag-Kishtwar road which is likely to reopen for traffic about a month earlier this time.
A fresh forecast for rain and snow from February 22 to 27 in the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.  A traffic police official said that traffic on the 270-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway was suspended yesterday to allow National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to undertake necessary maintenance and repair work. The Jammu & Kashmir Government has decided to suspend traffic on every Friday for maintenance.
However, there were huge landslides  on the highway at Ramsu. However, NHAI besides undertaking weekly maintenance of the road, also put into service sophisticated machines and removed the landslides. We allowed one-way traffic from Jammu to Srinagar today, a traffic police official said today. However, he said.
Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) will have to cross Nagrota between 0500 hrs to 1000 hrs and Jakheni Udhampur 0600 hrs to 1100 hrs. No vehicle will be allowed after cut off timing, he said adding Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) will be allowed after LMVs from Udhampur. He said security forces are advised not to ply against traffic advisory in view of traffic congestion on the highway. They too will ply from Jammu to Srinagar, he said.