SRINAGAR, Apr 10: Only one-way traffic will continue to ply on Srinagar-Jammu national highway, connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country.
Traffic will ply from Srinagar to Jammu today, a traffic police official said this morning.
However, no vehicle will be allowed from opposite direction as only one-way traffic will continue to ply on the highway till further orders. He said hundreds of empty trucks and oil tankers, besides vehicles carrying passengers, left Kashmir for Jammu this morning.
Traffic on the highway is being disrupted frequently since January 6, when there was first major snowfall in the valley. Closure of the highway resulted in shortage and increase of prices of essentials in the valley, where everything is imported from different state.
However, BRO reopened the highway but only one-way traffic was allowed as the road remained damaged and narrow at several places due to landslides besides work on widening of road for four-line was also on.
Meanwhile, the Ladakh region remained cut off from the Kashmir valley though the road was put through from Srinagar to Gumri on this side of the Zojila pass for light vehicles only.
Work on snow clearance operation was going on from both sides of the Zojila pass. There was fresh snowfall early last week on Srinagar-Leh national highway, particularly at Zojila pass and Zero point, hampering the snow clearance operation launched by BEACON authorities.
Snow clearance operation was going on from both sides of the Zojila pass, officials said, adding that fresh snowfall besides threat of avalanche could delay the early reopening of highway, which was closed in December.
The authorities have allowed light vehicle traffic from Srinagar to Gumri only on the highway, which remained closed for the past four months.
Similarly, there was also fresh snowfall on historic Mughal road badly affecting snow clearance operation. The road, which is seen as alternative to Srinagar-Jammu highway, was to reopen on April 15 after remaining closed for the past four months. Dozens of far-flung and remote areas, including those near the Line of Control (LoC) remained cut off from their respective district headquarters for the past four months due to accumulation of snow. There was fresh snowfall recently at Razdan pass, connecting border town of Gurez, surrounded by Pakistan- Occupied-Kashmir (PoK), with Bandipora. (AGENCIES)