SRINAGAR : The Bandipora-Gurez and Synthan-Kishtwar roads have been closed due to slippery road conditions following below freezing temperature while the national highway, connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country was through for both ways.
The 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh National Highway and historic Mughal roads were also open despite slippery roads.
The highway connecting the Ladakh region with Kashmir is likely to be closed for winters from tomorrow as there was apprehension of accidents due to slippery road, particularly in Zojila and Meenmarg areas.
A traffic police official told that Bandipora-Gurez road, connecting dozens of villages, including those near the Line of Control (LoC) with district headquarter has been closed due to slippery road conditions.
To avoid any accident due to slippery road conditions, it has been decided to close the road till further orders, he said, adding, “there is very grim possibility to reopen the road till the next summer.”
However, roads to border areas of Machil, Tangdhar, Keran and Karnah were through.
The upper reaches in the north Kashmir recently received moderate to heavy snowfall. He said Synthan-Kishtwar road has also been closed due to slippery roads.
The historic Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, was through for traffic, the official said, adding however, the vehicles would be allowed to ply only between 0900 hrs to 1600 hrs as the road gets very slippery in the evening and morning hours.
He said the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was through for both ways. However, the sky was cloudy and there is possibility of rain.
He said only one-way traffic is allowed between Sonmarg and Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, on Srinagar-Leh highway.
Traffic will ply from Drass to Srinagar today, he said, adding no vehicle will be allowed from opposite direction. Since the road is very slippery and weather was also bad, the highway is likely to be declared closed for winter months from tomorrow. However, decision will be taken in the afternoon. (UNI)
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