EARLY TIMES REPORT
SRINAGAR, Feb 6: Traffic was on Saturday resumed on the 270-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway after remaining suspended on Friday for weekly maintenance of the road, the only all weather road connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country.
Meanwhile, the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway, historic 86-km-long Mughal road and Anantnag-Kishtwar, remained closed due to accumulation of snow.
'We allowed traffic from Srinagar to Jammu on Saturday on the highway', a traffic police official told UNI. On Friday, no traffic was allowed on the road to allow National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to undertake necessary maintenance and repair work on the road.
He said Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) had to cross Zig Qazigund between 0800 hrs to 1200 hrs, he said, adding that no vehicle will be allowed before and after the cut off timing. After the LMVs, Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) will be allowed to move towards Jammu from Qazigund.
He said security forces are also advised not to ply against the traffic advisory. They too will have to ply from Srinagar to Jammu, he said.
Earlier, it was decided that during February the highway will be closed on Thursday instead of Friday. However, now vehicles will remain off the road on every Friday in February, he said.
Only one-way traffic is allowed on the highway in view of the traffic congestion on the highway and narrowness of Bailey bridge which was constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) after concrete bridge at Kela Morh was damaged when a portion of retaining wall collapsed on January 10. However, despite announcement by NHAI to open the bridge for traffic on January 29, it still remain closed. |
