Traffic remain shut on Jammu–Srinagar NH

SRINAGAR: No traffic was allowed on Wednesday on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only all weather road connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, a traffic police official said on today.
Meanwhile, the historic Mughal road, linking Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, remained closed through snow clearance operation was completed last month.
Traffic official said that traffic was suspended today to allow National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to undertake weekly necessary maintenance and repair work.
The Union Territory (UT) has decided to close national highway on every Wednesday for maintenance, he said.
The historic 86-km-long Mughal road, seen as alternative to Srinagar-Jammu national highway remained since December last year. Several political leaders and residents living on both sides of the road expressed their concern over continued closure of the road despite clearance of snow last month.
However, private vehicles are plying on the road illegally, they alleged. Gujjar and Bakerwals are also using the road to move with their lives stocks from plains to hills in Kashmir. The road connects Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region.
The national highway linking the UT of Ladakh with Kashmir was also through for one-way traffic. Today vehicles will ply from Srinagar to other side of the Zojila pass. However, vehicles had to ply between 0700 hrs to 1400 hrs from Sonamarg in the central Kashmir district of Ganderbal to different parts of the Ladakh UT, he said, adding that no vehicle will be allowed to move after cut off timing.