The 300-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway -the only surface link of the Valley with the rest of India - was again closed on Wednesday afternoon due to incessant rains which caused fresh landslides and cave-ins at many places along the route from Udhampur to Banihal.
A traffic department spokesman said, "In the morning, light motor vehicles bound for Srinagar were allowed to go from Jammu.
However, the incessant rains caused fresh landslides at Kherri, Nashri, Gangroo, Hingni and Panthal which forced traffic authorities to halt the vehicular movement. At around 2 PM, the highway was again closed. Men and machinery of the Border Road Organisation are engaged in the restoration work since morning, but incessant rains are hampering the road clearance work".
"Around 800 light motor vehicles are stranded on the highway at Ramban and Chanderkot. A few vehicles which reached Ramsoo were also brought back to these locations for their safety. On Thursday, our priority is to clear these stranded vehicles," the spokesman said.
"The arterial Doda-Kishtwar highway too remained closed due to landslides and the efforts to clear the road are on," he added. After remaining closed for three days, Jammu-Srinagar highway was opened for one-way traffic from Jammu to Srinagar on Tuesday.
{{/usCountry}}"The arterial Doda-Kishtwar highway too remained closed due to landslides and the efforts to clear the road are on," he added. After remaining closed for three days, Jammu-Srinagar highway was opened for one-way traffic from Jammu to Srinagar on Tuesday.
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