Highway Reopens Partially After Weeklong Closure

Srinagar: In a relief to people stranded along the thoroughfare, the Srinagar-Jammu highway partially opened for vehicular traffic on Tuesday after, nearly a week after landslides and heavy snowfall closed the strategic road.
District Development Commissioner Ramban, Showkat Aijaz Bhat said that stranded vehicles were allowed to move towards Kashmir Valley.
He said authorities and other executing agencies have been asked to keep adequate men and machinery ready to remove landslides from the highway to avoid traffic jamming and traffic breakdown besides ensuring road was traffic worthy. He also asked the passengers to contact traffic control rooms before starting their journey on the highway.
Official sources told GNS said that there would be no fresh traffic on the highway tomorrow also and if road and weather permits, only stranded traffic will be allowed to move towards Srinagar.
“Keeping in view the inclement weather condition/forecast made by MeT department, subject to fair weather/clearance of road tomorrow on February 13 only stranded vehicles shall be allowed towards Srinagar,” a traffic department official said.
The stranded traffic on highway was allowed in the afternoon after authorities cleared the fresh landslide at Marog in Ramban-Ramsoo sector.
Around 3000 vehicles were stranded between Jammu and Srinagar due to closure of the thoroughfare following series of landslides at Maroog, Anokhi Fall, Panthyal, Nashri, KhooniNallah, Gangroo and Digdol areas since February 6.
Reportedly around 1500 trucks carrying essential supplies including ration, 300 oil tankers, 100 load carriers loaded with vegetables and fruits, and as many gas tankers, 300 vehicles carrying sheep, goats and chicken and 700 light motor vehicles are stranded at various locations en-route the highway. (GNS)