SRINAGAR: Despite intermittent rain and snow, the 270-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, connecting Kashmir valley with rest of the country, was through for one-way traffic on Thursday.
The authorities had earlier ordered for the closure of the Kashmir highway on Thursday for weekly maintenance. However, due to prediction of snow and rain, the dry day was shifted to Friday.
“Despite wet weather, hundreds of vehicles left Jammu for Kashmir on Thursday morning as only one-way traffic continued to ply on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway,” a traffic police official said.
He said Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) will have to cross Nagrota (Jammu) between 0900 hrs and 1300 hrs. “The LMVs will have to cross Jakheni (Udhampur) between 1000 hrs and 1400 hrs,” he said, adding that no vehicles will be allowed before and after cut off timing.
He said Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) will be allowed from Jakheni (Udhampur) towards Kashmir after 1400 hrs.
The repair and maintenance day every week on Srinagar-Jammu national highway was shifted from Friday to Thursday. But, today due to prediction of wet weather, the dry day for maintenance was shifted to Friday, he said.
The government had announced to allow weekly maintenance of the highway on every Friday, when traffic remained suspended for the past two months.
He said security forces are advised not to ply against traffic plan in view of traffic congestion on the highway and narrowness of bailey bridge at Kela morh, where main concrete bridge was damaged after a retaining wall collapsed on January 10 evening. The baily bridge was installed by Border Roads Organisation (BRO) after National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) said it will take about two weeks to repair the damage.
The historic 86-km-long Mughal road, connecting Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region with Shopian in south Kashmir and Anantnag-Sampthan-Kishtwar road remained closed since last week of December last year due to accumulation of snow and slippery conditions. “The national highway, the only road linking Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh with Kashmir, has been closed since January 1 for winter months,” he said. (agencies)
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