Leh, Mughal road remain shut, Jammu-Kashmir highway reopens

Srinagar, Apr 21: The national highway, linking the Ladakh region with Kashmir, and 86-km-long historic Mughal road remained closed for the second day on Saturday due to fresh snowfall, landslides and slippery road condition.

However, traffic was resumed on the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway after disruption for about six hours on Friday due to landslides.

The Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region , remained closed for the second day today due to fresh snowfall and landslides at several places, including Pir-ki-Gali.

The authorities have already started operation to clear the landslides and snow and put through the traffic, he said, adding that the weather has witnessed improvement since this morning. However, he said traffic will be allowed only after receiving green signal from the traffic police personnel deployed on both sides of the Gali.

The road was reopened for one-way traffic only early this month after remaining closed during winter due to accumulation of snow.

Traffic remained suspended on 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway for the second day today due to fresh snowfall and slippery road condition, he said.

Fresh snowfall was recorded at Sonamarg, Zojila, Meenmarg and Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia due to which road had become very slippery, he said adding that as a precautionary measure to prevent any accident, traffic was suspended.

'We are allowing Kashmir-bound traffic from Drass in the morning from 0500 hrs, he said, adding that 'from Sonmarg in central Kashmir to Drass in Ladakh we are allowing movement of vehicles from 1100 hrs.'

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, has pressed into service sophisticated machine to put through the highway for traffic, he said.

The official said traffic was resumed on the national highway, connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country. The highway was closed for traffic yesterday following landslides, triggered by rain. However, the BRO cleared the highway and put through the road after about five hours of disruption.

He said Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) will ply from both Srinagar and Jammu. However, Heavy Motor Vehicle (HMVs) will continue to ply one-way only, he said. Today, HMVs will ply from Jammu to Srinagar and heavy vehicles will be allowed from opposite direction, he said.

However, he said people are requested to undertake the journey on the highway only after confirming the status of the road from Traffic Control Units (TCUs) set up in Srinagar, Ramban and Jammu.