Traffic resumes on Srinagar-Jammu highway

Srinagar: Traffic was resumed on Thursday after remaining suspended for a day on the 270-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway in view of weekly maintenance of the road, particularly between Nashree and Jawahar tunnel.
However, national highway, the only road connecting Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh with Kashmir, historic 86-km-long Mughal road and Anantnag-Kishtwar roads are through for traffic, a traffic police official told UNI.
He said traffic was suspended from Srinagar and Jammu on the highway, the only all weather road linking Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, to allow the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to undertake weekly maintenance of the road on Wednesday.
The authorities have decided to suspend traffic on the highway on every Wednesday to allow NHAI to undertake necessary maintenance of the highway so that the only road link to Kashmir remained open during other week days.
”We allowed two way Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) from both Jammu and Srinagar on the highway today,” he said, adding that Kashmir bound vehicles had to leave Nagrota between0600 hrs to 1200 hrs and Udhampur from 0700 hrs to 1300 hrs. Similarly, Jammu-bound vehicles had to leave Zig Qazigund between 0800 hrs to 1200 hrs, he said, adding that no vehicle will be allowed before and after cut off timing.
Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) and security forces will ply from Jammu to Srinagar only, he said adding no HMV or security force vehicle will be allowed from opposite direction.
Only one-way traffic was allowed on Srinagar-Leh highway today. He said vehicles will ply from Srinagar to Kargil. No vehicle will be allowed from opposite direction, he added. Ladakh bound Vehicles had to leave Sonamarg in central Kashmir district of Ganderbal 0700 hrs to 1500 hrs, he said adding no vehicle will be allowed before and after cut off timing.
He said the Mughal road, which connects Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, was open. However, he said, only load carriers, including fresh perishable fruit and vegetables and empty trucks and oil tankers shall be allowed to ply from Heerpora Shopian towards Poonch tomorrow between 0900 hrs to 1400 hrs. No vehicle will be allowed before and after cut off timing, he said adding no passenger vehicle or pedestrian will be allowed on the road. However, medical emergencies will be allowed to travel after obtaining proper permission from concern authority.
Only vehicles carrying passengers for medical emergencies will be allowed to ply on Kishtwar-Anantnag-Srinagar road, the official said.