Srinagar-Jammu highway remains closed due to heavy snowfall

SRINAGAR : The 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway was closed  last night yet again due to heavy snowfall at several places.
A large number of vehicles which left Jammu yesterday, were stranded at different places across the Jawhar tunnel, a traffic police official said.
He said the highway was closed last night due to one to two feet of fresh snowfall on both sides of the Jawahar tunnel, Banihal, Shaitan Nallah, Batote and Patnitop, while Ramban and Ramsu area were closed due to rains.
He said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway had pressed into service sophisticated machines and men to clear the snow on the road, linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the  country.
No fresh vehicle will be allowed from Jammu or Srinagar today, while vehicles stranded elsewhere will be allowed to proceed towards their respective destinations once the highway is put through.
However, despite snowfall about 1,000 vehicles, which had left Jammu, reached Kashmir valley. Passengers alleged major traffic jams on the highway till late last evening due to stranded vechicles.
For more than last month only one-way traffic is allowed on the highway to avoid traffic jam as the road is very narrow at some places due to snowfall on both sides. (AGENCIES)