LMVs to ply from morning, HMV in afternoon on Kashmir highway
Srinagar, Jan 15: The national highway, the only all weather 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 shut due to accumulation of snow.
Only one-way traffic is allowed on the highway on Tuesday and vehicles will ply from winter capital, Jammu to Kashmir, a traffic police official told TNN.
However, he said, restriction on the movement of Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) and Heavy Motor Vehicle (HMV) have been imposed to avoid any traffic jams on the highway, where road widening was under progress at several places besides frequent landslides and shooting stones which are being cleared immediately.
Hundreds of LMVs, mostly carrying passengers left different parts of Jammu this morning at 0600 hrs for Kashmir, he said, adding that these vehicles had to cross Jakheni, Udhampur, by 1330 hrs. During this period no HMV will be allowed, he added.
He said HMVs, including trucks carrying essentials and oil tankers, will be allowed from Jakheni Udhampur between 1300 hrs till 1900 hrs. No vehicle will be allowed after the deadline, he added.
However, those travelling by road from here to Jammu on Monday alleged that there was a major traffic jam at Banihal for about two hours. All Jammu bound vehicles, including State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) buses were stopped, passengers alleged.
Meanwhile, traffic on national highway, linking Ladakh region with Kashmir, remained suspended for the past about two months due to accumulation of several feet of snow, particularly at Zojila pass. However, traffic from border town of Kargil to Leh on the highway was plying, he said.
Similarly, 86-km-long historic Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region remained closed.