NHAI proposes Bailey bridge as interim measure for connectivity
No need to panic: Div Com
Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Jan 12: The Kashmir remained cut off from the rest of the country for the second successive day on Tuesday due to closure of the 270-km-long Srinagar-Jammu highway while the authorities said the highway would remain closed for 10 days for repairing wall of a bridge in Ramban that collapsed on Sunday.
A traffic police official said that Srinagar-Jammu highway, the only road link connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, remained closed on Tuesday due to sudden damage of a bridge at Kela Morh in Ramban.
He said the highway shall remain closed due to sudden collapse of retaining wall of a bridge near Kela Morh, Ramban on 10.01.2021 at 6:20 pm.
Repairing by concrete filling and settling of the concrete for making it motorable may take approximately 10 days as per P.D NHAI (Road construction and maintaining Agency),” the traffic official said.
“In the interim, to restore connectivity a Bailey bridge is being launched by BRO. However, Jammu-Doda-Kishtwar, Jammu-Ramban, Gool Sangaldan, Magerkot- Banihal, and Banihal-Qazigund stretches are through for local traffic. People are requested to take their journey accordingly” he said.
Official sources said about 5000 vehicles, including those carrying essentials, and oil tankers got stranded on the highway after the bridge was damaged.
Several thousand empty trucks, oil and gas tankers are stranded on this side of the Jawahar tunnel.
People alleged that the prices of essentials, particularly fresh vegetables have increased after the highway was declared closed for five days.
The Mughal road, which is seen as alternative to Srinagar-Jammu national highway also remained closed since December last year due to accumulation of snow and slippery road conditions. The road connects Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region.
The road connecting Anantnag in south Kashmir with Kishtwar in Jammu region also remained closed due to snowfall.
The Srinagar-Leh highway has also been declared closed for winter months by the authorities from January 1, 2021.
Meanwhile, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir P K Pole said stocks including food grains are available for two and a half months in Kashmir.
“Other essentials are available for 15 days,” he said adding there is no need to panic. (Additional inputs from UNI, KNO)