SRINAGAR: Traffic on the national highway, connecting the Ladakh region with Kashmir valley has been restored from today after remaining suspended from December 11 due to snowfall and slippery road conditions.
However, the administration has already announced to close the highway for winter months from December 20 to avoid any accident due to slippery road conditions as the mercury drops to below minus 10 degree Celsius to minus 15 degree at several places.
“We allowed one-way traffic on the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway today,” a traffic police official said.
He said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), assisted by local administration has put into service sophisticated machines and men to put through the highway again which remained closed since December 11 following heavy snowfall and slippery road conditions, particularly at Zojila, Meenmarg and Zero point.
He said only one-way traffic will be allowed on the highway. “Today we allowed traffic from Ladakh region to Kashmir valley,” he said adding subject to condition of the road and weather tomorrow, vehicles will ply from Kashmir to Ladakh.
However, he said as the road becomes slippery in the afternoon due to drop in the temperature, all vehicles plying from Leh and Kargil to valley have to cross Drass, the coldest place in the world after Siberia, by 1300 hrs.
The authorities have decided to close the national highway, connecting the Ladakh region with the Kashmir valley from December 20 for winter months due to accumulation of snow and slippery road conditions.
An official spokesman said that Sonamarg?Gumri (Zojila pass) shall remain closed for vehicular traffic of all types from December 20 till further notice.
However, if weather permits the Srinagar-Sonmarg and Drass-Kargil-Leh portions of the highway will remain open for traffic.
The Central and state governments have already sanctioned construction of a tunnel at Zojila pass to make it an all weather highway for Ladakh region.
In the past, highway was being closed for six winter months from November 1 every year. However, for the past few years the highway remained open till weather permits. Meanwhile, the authorities have stocked all essentials commodities, including rice, sugar, wheat flour, kerosene oil, LPG cylinders, diesel and petrol for six winter months.
Large quantity of building material has also been dumped in the region to start the construction work when there is improvement in the weather after winter, even if the highway remained closed. (AGENCIES)
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