Fresh traffic allowed from Jammu to Srinagar on Kashmir highway

Srinagar, Jan 6: Hundreds of vehicles, including those carrying passengers and trucks with essential commodities, were allowed to ply from Jammu to Srinagar on the 300-km-long National Highway, the only road linking Kashmir valley with the rest of the country.

Fresh traffic was allowed on the National Highway on Sunday morning after clearing on Saturday evening all the vehicles, which were stranded on both the sides of the Jawahar Tunnel due to closures of the road since Friday following snowfall.

The Srinagar-Leh National Highway, the only road connecting Ladakh region with Kashmir valley and the Mughal road, linking Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, remained shut for the past over one month. These roads are likely to reopen in April.

“We have allowed fresh traffic from Jammu to Srinagar after all the vehicles stranded at various places on the highway were cleared last evening,” a traffic official told TNN.

He said both Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) were allowed from Jammu to Srinagar, with some restrictions. “LMVs will have to pass Nagrota in Jammu between 0500 hrs to 1200 hrs,” he said.

He said LMVs will have to pass Jakheni in Udhampur between 0630 hrs to 1400 hrs.

Similarly, he said HMVs and Load carriers will have to pass Jakheni in Udhampur between 1300 hrs to 1900 hrs. “No vehicles shall be allowed from these checkpoints after cut off timings,” he said, adding no vehicle, including security force convoy, would be allowed from opposite direction.

During this week, the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained closed for three days -- Wednesday, Friday and Saturday -- due to light to moderate snowfall.

The national highway, connecting Ladakh region with Kashmir, remained closed for the past over one month due to accumulation of snow, particularly on Zojila pass. The road remained slippery due to frozen snow and there is no possibility of resuming traffic on the highway before March, official sources said.

The Central government has already sanctioned construction of a tunnel to make it an all weather road.

Traffic also remained suspended for winter months on historic Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, due to accumulation of several feet of snow at various places on the road.