SRINAGAR: For the first time fresh traffic from Srinagar to Jammu was allowed on Wednesday after five days on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only all weather road connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, official sources said on Wednesday.
No vehicle will be allowed from opposite direction, sources said today.
Meanwhile, the historic 86-km-long Mughal road, connecting Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region with Shopian in south Kashmir and Anantnag-Sampthan-Kishtwar road remained closed since last week of December last year due to accumulation of snow and slippery conditions.
The national highway, the only road linking Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh with Kashmir, has been closed since January Ist for winter months, he said.
Today Srinagar to Jammu traffic was allowed on the highway, they said, adding that the Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) had to cross Zig Qazigund, gateway of Kashmir, between 1000 hrs to 1400 hrs followed by Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs). No vehicle will be allowed after cut of timing, they said.
A traffic police official said that security forces are also advised not to ply against traffic plan in view of traffic congestion on the highway and narrowness of bailey bridge at Kela morh, where main concrete bridge was damaged after a retaining wall collapsed on January 10 evening.
The baily bridge was installed by Border Roads Organisation (BRO) after National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) said it will take about two weeks to repair the damage. Now the NHAI has announced to open the bridge on January 29 for traffic again. Security forces were also asked to ply from Srinagar to Jammu today.
Srinagar to Jammu traffic was last allowed on January 21 and next day (Friday) the highway was closed for weekly maintenance and repair of the road. On January 23 only one-way traffic was allowed from Jammu to Srinagar and later the highway was closed due to snow and landslides on January 24.
During the next two days only Kashmir bound stranded vehicles on the highway. (AGENCIES)
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