One way traffic resumes on Kashmir highway, Leh & Mughal roads remain closed

Srinagar, Jan 14 : One-way traffic on Monday resumed on the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway after all stranded vehicles were allowed to move towards their respective destinations on Sunday, a traffic police official said on Monday.

However, Srinagar-Leh national highway, the only road connecting Ladakh region with Kashmir, and historic 86-km-long Mughal road, remained closed for the past over a month due to an accumulation of snow which has now frozen due to sub-zero temperature.
We have today allowed one-way fresh traffic on the national highway, the only all-weather road connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country, a traffic police official told TNN.
He said Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) will ply from Srinagar to Jammu and no vehicle, including security force convoy, would be allowed from opposite direction.
He said the LMVs will have to cross Levdora before 1300 hrs adding the HMVs will be allowed to ply from Levdora between 1330 hrs to 1900 hrs. However, no vehicle will be allowed after the deadline, he said, adding passengers undertaking the journey are advised to contact Traffic Control Units (TCUs) in Srinagar, Jammu and Ramban.
Fresh traffic was allowed only after all stranded vehicles on the highway were cleared and allowed to move towards their respective destination till Sunday night.
The authorities are allowing only one-way traffic on the highway for the past over one year to avoid traffic jam as road widening work was going on at several stretches before frequent landslides.
Meanwhile, there is no chance of reopening of highway connecting Ladakh with Kashmir due to accumulation of several feet of snow between Sonamarg-Zojila-Zero point and Meenmarg. However, traffic was plying from the border town of Kargil, on the highway to Leh where very less snow was recorded so far.
The Mughal road, which is also seen as the alternative to Srinagar-Jammu national highway, remained closed due to the accumulation of heavy snow which has frozen. The road connects Shopian in south Kashmir to Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region.