Despite snow Kashmir highway through for one-way traffic, Leh still closed

Srinagar, Mar 15 : Despite fresh snowfall on Thursday, the national highway, the only road connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, was through for one-way traffic while the Srinagar-Leh and historic Mughal roads remained closed since December last year due to accumulation of snow and slippery road conditions.

The 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway was through for one-way traffic despite fresh snowfall today, a traffic police official told TNN. He said today vehicles will ply from Srinagar to Jammu and no vehicle, including security force convoy, will be allowed from opposite direction. Only one-way traffic will continue on the highway till further orders to avoid traffic jam and accidents, he said adding road repair and widening work was in progress at several places.

There was fresh snowfall on both sides of the Jawahar tunnel this morning, he said adding there was also rain in Ramban. However, the road was through for traffic, he added.

There was fresh snowfall during the past 24 hours at Sonamarg-Zojilla-Zero point and Meenmarg on Srinagar-Leh national highway which is closed since December last year. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintainance of the highway have already started snow clearance machines by putting into service sophisticated machines. There was less snowfall this winter on the highway. The BRO was expecting to put through the highway by the end of this month or first week of next month, they said adding fresh snowfall was delay it.

Meanwhile, the 86-km-long historic Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region also remained closed since December last year due to accumulation of snow and slippery road conditions. About six inches to one feet of fresh snowfall was experienced on the road, including at Pir-ki-Gali, Bafflayaz, Pir Panjal, Sinthan Top and other places during the past 24 hours.