Srinagar: Traffic was on Sunday restored on the 270-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only all-weather road connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, after remaining suspended for two days.
Meanwhile, for the first time after several months, vehicles from both the sides of the highway national were allowed following improvement in the condition of the road.
However, the historic 86-km-long Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu, remained closed since December last year due to the accumulation of snow.
“Traffic was on Sunday allowed to ply on Srinagar-Jammu national highway after remaining suspended for two days,” a traffic police official told UNI.
Srinagar-Jammu national highway was closed on Friday for weekly maintenance and repair work. Traffic could not be restored on Saturday due to landslides and shooting stones triggered by rain at Penthyal and Margooz on the highway.
But, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) pressed into service sophisticated machines and put through the traffic on the highway.
He said two-way traffic, with some time restrictions, have been allowed on the highway on Friday for the first time after several months following improvement in the conditions of the road. “Kashmir-bound Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) have to cross Nagrota Jammu between 0500 hrs and 1200 hrs and from Jakheni Udhampur between 0600 hrs and 1300 hrs,” he said.
He said Jammu-bound vehicles have to cross Zig in Qazigund between 1000 hrs and 1300, adding no vehicle will be allowed before or after the cutoff timing from either side.
He said only stranded Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) between Nashree and Ramban will be allowed towards Srinagar on Sunday.
Snow clearance operation was going on a war footing on Anantnag-Kishtwar road which remained close since December last year.
UNI
