SONAMARG, KASHMIR : The 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway, connecting the Ladakh region with the Kashmir valley, was put through this afternoon after remaining closed since December last year.
“Despite fresh snowfall early this week, we were able to put through the highway for vehicular traffic today,” Chief Engineer BEACON project said after flagging off 140 vehicles from here this afternoon at 1300 hrs.
He said there are 75 light vehicles, majority of them carrying passengers and 65 trucks and other vehicles loaded with essentials for the Ladakh region.
The vehicles had to cross a big wall of snow on both sides of the road, including Zojila pass.
The highway was closed in December 2012 after heavy snowfall in Zojila sector besides road become slippery due to below freezing temperature.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintainance of the highway, started the snow clearance operation from both sides of the Zojila pass early last month.
Sophisticated snow clearance machines and cutters besides trained men were put into service to make way through six to 10 feet of snow accumulated on the highway between Sonamarg to Meenmarg.
The snow clearance operation was completed last week, BEACON officials said, adding the BRO later took repair work of the road.
However, there was fresh snowfall early this week which too was cleared, they said.
This time the road reopened more than a fortnight earlier.
(agencies)
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