Jmu-Sgr Highway reopens after 2-day closure, traffic resumes

Srinagar, Aug 1: Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, the only all-weather road link connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country, resumed on Saturday afternoon after remaining suspended for two days due to restoration work and inclement weather.
Officials said that the repair work on the single carriageway near Dewal Bridge in the Samroli area of Udhampur district continued amid heavy rainfall. “Fresh incidents of shooting stones and mudslides were also reported in the Ramban and Banihal sectors, while the road surface had become slushy and slippery. Due to these reasons traffic was halted as a precautionary measure,” they said.
“Following continuous efforts by the NHAI, Traffic Police and other agencies, the affected stretch was made motorable, following which vehicular movement was restored in a phased manner,” an official said, adding, “Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) were released simultaneously from Udhampur and Qazigund after the highway was declared fit for traffic. Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) stranded on the Kashmir side were also allowed to proceed towards Jammu,” an official said. (KNO)