Kashmir highway through for traffic despite fresh snowfall

Srinagar, Jan 24 (UNI) The 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, was through for traffic despite fresh snowfall since early this morning. However, only one-way traffic from Srinagar to Jammu will be allowed on the highway.

“After reviewing the condition of the road, one-way traffic has been allowed to ply from Srinagar to Jammu,” a traffic police official told UNI. He said the decision to allow traffic on the highway was taken after receiving report from traffic and Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, and officials posted at different places. Hundreds of vehicles, including those carrying passengers, left towards Jammu from different parts of the valley.

He said fresh snowfall was experienced at Qazigund, Jawahar tunnel, Shaitan Nallah and other places since early this morning, adding that only one-way traffic will be allowed on the highway till further orders to avoid any accident and traffic jam.

A driver, Bahar Ahmad, was killed and another person was injured when a vehicle they were travelling in skidded off the road and fell into deep gorge in Ramsu area last evening. There is a forecast for heavy to very heavy snowfall across the Kashmir valley, including on the highway till January 26. Meanwhile, the national highway, linking the Ladakh region with Kashmir and historic Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir and Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, remained closed for six winter months following accumulation of several feet of snow on these routes. Both the roads will reopen only in summer.