Srinagar-Jammu national highway re-opened for traffic

Srinagar, Apr 15 (UNI) The 300-km Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only road link between the Kashmir valley and the rest of the country, was re-opened for vehicular traffic later this evening after remaining closed for several hours today.

According to the traffic control room, the national highway 1A was closed this morning following landslides and shooting stones at Panthal, about 155 km from here.

The landslides were triggered due to blasting carried out by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) personnel to repair the damaged part of the national highway at Panthal.

The strip damaged due to incessant rains had resulted in frequent closure of the road since November last year. A major portion of the highway had been washed away due to landslides.

On one occasion, the national highway, the lifeline of Kashmir, was closed for about ten days while it remained shut for about 15 days for the second time in March this year.

Hundreds of vehicles, including passenger buses, which were allowed to move to Srinagar from Jammu, have been stranded at various places on the highway.

The BRO has pressed into service extra manpower and sophisticated machines to clear the landslides and make the road traffic worthy.

The highway was thrown open for vehicular traffic at around 1600 hrs this evening after the BRO cleared the landslides.

All the stranded vehicles were allowed to move toward Srinagar.

Tomorrow, the traffic would be allowed from Srinagar to Jammu as the highway, now-a-days, remains open one-way only.

UNI