Srinagar-Leh highway, Mughal road shut, Kashmir highway open
Srinagar, Dec 9 (UNI) The national highway, the only road connecting Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh with Kashmir and historic 86-km-long Mughal road remained closed for the second day on Wednesday following accumulation of snow and slippery road conditions.
However, despite rain the 270-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only all weather road linking Kashmir valley with the rest of the country was through for one-way traffic, a traffic police official told UNI this morning.
He said traffic on Srinagar-Leh national highway was suspended on Tuesday morning following fresh snowfall. The road has become slippery due to accumulation of snow, he said adding there is also forecast for more snowfall during the next 24 hours.
He said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has put into service sophisticated machines to clear the snow on the highway.
Traffic will be resumed only after receiving green signal, he said adding that night traffic movement from 1800 hrs to 0900 hrs next morning will remain suspended on the highway between Gagangir and Sonamarg.
This year the government has decided to keep the highway open till December end. The highway remained closed during winter months due to accumulation of 10 to 15 feet of snow on the highway, particularly at Zojila, Meenmarg, Zero point, India gate and Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia.
The historic Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, also remained closed for any traffic movement for the second day on Wednesday due to accumulation of snow, traffic official said.
Traffic on the road was resumed recently after remaining closed for over a week due to snowfall. The road, also seen as alternative to Srinagar-Jammu highway, remains closed for six winter months due to snow and avalanches.
Traffic official said that traffic will ply from Srinagar to Jammu on the highway. However, Jammu bound Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) will have to cross Zig Qazigund between 0700 hrs to 1200 hrs, he said, adding that no vehicle will be allowed after cut off timing. Commuters are advised to follow Standard Operating Procedure (SOG) issued by the government to prevent spread of COVID-19.
About Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs), he said only stranded vehicles between Zig and Jawahar Tunnel will be allowed to move towards Jammu. However, he said, Traffic Control Unit (TCU) Ramban will coordinate for release of oil tankers and perishable carriers from opposite direction.
Security force vehicles will also ply from Srinagar to Jammu, he said.