Srinagar, Mar 11: Despite heavy weather odds and threat of avalanches, Srinagar-Leh National Highway, the only road connecting Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh with Kashmir, was likely to reopen later this month, a senior Beacon project official said on Wednesday.
‘If everything goes smoothly, the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway is likely to reopen later this month’, he stated.
The snow clearance operation was likely to complete to Zero-Point within next one week and one more week would be needed to widen the road. There was heavy snowfall this winter and still there were huge walls of snow on both sides of the road, he further said.
‘We face tremendous weather challenges and at some places, including at Zojila pass,where the mercury goes down to minus 15 degrees to 20 degrees due to which the snow gets frozen and there was also threat of avalanches too, he further stated.
However, despite all this, our men working with the help of sophisticated cutters and machines are working to put through the highway which is closed since November-December last year, he observed.
Almost all essentials commodities were being supplied to Ladakh region through this highway.
Meanwhile, snow clearance operation has been completed on the road to tourist resort of Sonmarg on the highway.
Efforts were going on to ensure all facilities before the tourists were allowed to the tourist resort.
All offices, including belonging to tourism and other departments besides police station at Sonamarg, remained closed during winter months.
Even residents of nearby villages also migrate to Ganderbal and other places during winter months and return only in summer every year, he added.
