| Traffic resumes on Kashmir highway, Leh closed due to snowfall | | |
Srinagar, Dec 5: Traffic on the National highway, the only road connecting Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh with Kashmir valley, was suspended on Saturday due to fresh snowfall since Friday night.
However, traffic was resumed on Saturday after remaining suspended on Friday for maintenance purpose on Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only all weather road linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, a traffic police official told UNI this morning.
Meanwhile, traffic was disrupted for several hours this morning on the historic 86-km-long Mughal road due to fresh snowfall.
He said there was four to five inches of fresh snowfall at Zojila pass, two to three inches of snow at Meenmarg, Zero point and Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia on Srinagar-Leh national highway.
Snow clearance operation was immediately launched at Zojila and other places by the Border Roads Organisations (BRO). However, due to less snowfall between Meenmarg and Drass, the road has become very slippery, he said, adding that the upper reaches in these areas recorded six to eight inches of snowfall since last night.
At several places the road has become very slippery due to sub zero temperature and authorities are using salt and urea to defreeze the frozen surface.
Once the snow clearance operation is completed and green signal is received, traffic will be allowed, he said adding today vehicles had to ply from Srinagar to Kargil in Ladakh UT on the highway.
However, he said traffic will remain suspended between 1800 hrs to 0900 hrs next morning between Gagangeer and Sonmarg on the highway, which remained closed during winter months due to heavy snowfall and avalanches.
The authorities this time has directed BRO to keep the highway open till December ending.
Meanwhile, traffic was resumed on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway after remaining suspended on Friday in view of maintenance of the road.
Earlier, the government had announced that traffic will remain suspended on Fridays to allow repair/maintenance of the highway till November 30. However, now the traffic will remain suspended on every Friday in December also.
Today Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) will ply from Srinagar to Jammu. However, Jammu bound LMVs had to cross Zig Qazigund between 0700 hrs to 1200 hrs he said adding no vehicle will be allowed after cut off timing.
The Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) will also be allowed to ply from Jakheni Udhampur to Srinagar, he said adding security forces will also ply from Jammu to Srinagar. He said due to fresh snowfall on Mughal road, which connects Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region was suspended due to fresh snowfall. However, snow clearance operation was immediately started and the road was again put through today, he said.
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