Traffic suspended on Srinagar-Leh highway

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SRINAGAR: Traffic was suspended on the national highway, the only road connecting Union Territory (UT)of Ladakh with Kashmir, on Friday in view of the weekly maintenance.
However, national highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, historic 86-km-long Mughal road and Anantnag-Kishtwar roads are through, a traffic police official said today.
He said traffic was suspended from both Ladakh and Srinagar sides on the highway, to allow the Beacon authorities to undertake weekly maintenance of the road on Friday.
The authorities from Ladakh and Kashmir have decided to suspend traffic on the highway on every Friday to allow Beacon to undertake necessary maintenance of the highway, particularly at Zojila pass so that the only road link between Ladakh and Kashmir remained open during other week days.
Meanwhile, Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) will ply from both Jammu and Srinagar while Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) from Zig Qazigund in south Kashmir towards Jammu. Security forces will also ply from Srinagar to Jammu, he said adding no HMV will be allowed from opposite direction.
He said the Mughal road, which connects Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, was open. However, he said, only load carriers, including fresh perishable fruit and vegetables and empty trucks and oil tankers shall be allowed to ply from Heerpora Shopian towards Poonch tomorrow between 0900 hrs to 1400 hrs.
No vehicle will be allowed before and after cut off timing, he said adding no passenger vehicle or pedestrian will be allowed on the road. However, medical emergencies will be allowed to travel after obtaining proper permission from concern authority.
He said only vehicles carrying passengers for medical emergencies will be allowed to ply on Kishtwar-Anantnag-Srinagar road. (agencies)