SRINAGAR : Light vehicles will ply from both sides while heavy vehicles will continue to operate one way only on the national highway, linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country.
A traffic police official said light vehicles will ply from both sides on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway. However, heavy vehicles were allowed to ply from Srinagar to Jammu only, he said, adding heavy vehicles will ply from Jammu to Srinagar tomorrow.
This process will continue till further orders, he said, adding this process will continue till further orders. Only one-way traffic was being allowed on the highway for the past five months due to major damage caused to road at several places following landslides and soil erosion.
However, two way traffic for light vehicles was allowed for the first time since yesterday. The highway remained closed frequently, particularly during February, March and April months due to landslides and soil erosion, resulting in acute shortage of essentials, particularly fresh vegetables, leading to price rise. One-way traffic was introduced on the highway for the past five months after landslides and soil erosion damaged road at several places, particularly in Ramban and Ramsu areas.
This was done to avoid traffic jam and accidents as the road was very narrow at some places where only one-vehicle could pass, he said, adding the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintainance of the highway later put into service sophisticated machines and men to clear all hurdles and repair the damaged portion and put through it for both ways.
The repair work was further intensified keeping in view the annual Amarnath yatra, commencing from July 2 and ensuing tourist season, when lakhs of tourists are expected to visit the valley. However, only one-way traffic will continue to ply on historic Mughal road, linking the Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region with Shopian in south Kashmir. He said traffic will ply from Jammu to Srinagar on the road today. The historic road reopened last month after remaining closed for five months due to heavy snowfall.
He said the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway, connecting Ladakh region with Kashmir, remained open for both ways. However, vehicles are plying on rotation at Zojila pass. In the morning vehicles will pass the Zojila from Gumri Ladakh to Sonamarg Kashmir from 0400 hrs to 1100 hrs. Vehicles from Kashmir will have to cross Zojila after 1300 hrs onwards. (AGENCIES)
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