Traffic resumes on Jammu-Srinagar highway; landslide blocks Mughal Road

After four days of closure due to landslides, two-way traffic resumed on Saturday on Jammu-Srinagar national highway. Mughal Road was blocked by a landslide at Mansar Morh near Peer Ki Gali

: After four days of closure due to landslides, two-way traffic resumed on Saturday on the 270-km-long Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the only all-weather surface link that connects Kashmir with the outside world.

The Jammu-Srinagar national highway had remained blocked for four straight days since Tuesday following heavy rains and snowfall across Jammu and Kashmir. Mughal Road, connecting the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region with south Kashmir’s Shopian district, was blocked by a landslide at Mansar Morh near Peer Ki Gali in the early hours of Saturday. (ANI File Photo)

“Priority is being accorded to Valley-bound vehicles carrying essentials, which include Pahalgam and Baltal-bound vehicles carrying men and material for setting up community kitchens for the Amarnath Yatris that begins June 30,” said officials.

The highway had remained blocked for four straight days since Tuesday following heavy rains and snowfall across Jammu and Kashmir.

“We had restored the highway at Samroli in Udhampur on Friday night itself and the old alignment road adjacent to T2 tunnel in Ramban was also made traffic worthy. We started clearing stranded vehicles last night itself,” said SSP, traffic, national highway, Shabir Malik.

He informed that Saturday morning the two-wayy traffic from Srinagar and Jammu was allowed.

“Fresh traffic is being allowed from both sides (Jammu and Srinagar) this morning and is moving smoothly,” he added.

The highway was blocked at nearly three dozen places by landslides and mudslides, mostly in Ramban and Udhampur districts, on Tuesday evening following incessant rains leaving over 3,000 vehicles, mostly trucks, stranded.

All stranded vehicles were cleared during the night hours, paving the way for resumption of normal traffic movement, the official said, adding that road clearance work is in progress at many places.

He said the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was also undertaking repair work of the steel tunnel at Panthiyal which was damaged by shooting stones from the hillock overlooking the highway.

The official said the Mughal Road, connecting the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region with south Kashmir’s Shopian district, was blocked by a landslide at Mansar Morh near Peer Ki Gali in the early hours of Saturday.

Men and machinery were pressed into service to clear the debris, he said.