Jammu-Srinagar national highway remains shut for 5thday due to slippery stretches, landslides

At Samroli, the authorities had to blast big boulders, which had blocked the highway since Wednesday.

Vehicular traffic on the 270-km long Jammu-Srinagar national highway (NH44) remained suspended for the fifth consecutive day on Thursday due to slippery stretches around Jawahar Tunnel (JT) and landslides at some places along the highway between Banihal and Udhampur.

People walk past stranded vehicles on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway during heavy snowfall at Qazigund in Anantnag district of South Kashmir earlier this week. (PTI PHOTO.)

According to SSP, Traffic, National Highway, JS Johar although the road stretch between Nashri and south portal of Jawahar Tunnel was cleared and made motorable for one-way traffic at most of the places yet it was still to be cleared completely on the other side of the JT towards Kashmir valley.

The landslide and boulders were yet to be cleared at Samroli in Udhampur.

At Samroli, the authorities had to blast big boulders, which had blocked the highway since Wednesday.

Johar informed that though no passenger was stranded in any of the danger zones along the highway but more than 3000 vehicles including HMVs were stranded between Udhampur and Jammu or in Qazigund area.

The road between Nashri and Banihal was cleared for one-way traffic at most places.

He said men and machinery were on the job to clear the highway, but the road was still blocked at several places. Mughal Road, the alternate road-link which connects the valley to Jammu region through Shopian-Rajouri axis, remained closed for traffic due to heavy snowfall.