Two-way light and one-way heavy traffic on Kashmir highway

Srinagar, Feb 21 (UNI) To avoid any traffic jam on the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the authorities have decided to allow only one-way heavy and both way light vehicle traffic.

Today heavy and light vehicles, including those carrying passengers and essential commodities, left Jammu for here this morning.

However, no heavy vehicle--passenger or truck, was allowed from here, a traffic police official said. But, he said light vehicles carrying passengers also left for Jammu from here.

Similarly, all vehicles will be allowed from here tomorrow while only light passenger vehicles can ply from Jammu to Srinagar.

This has been done to avoid any traffic jam on the highway, he said.

A UNI correspondent who traveled from Jammu to Srinagar recently saw vehicles passing through three feet to seven feet of snow wall on the highway, only road linking the vehicle with the rest of the country.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, has cleared snow from the middle of the road after pressing into service sophisticated machines and labourers.

However, at some places, drivers found it difficult to negotiate curves because of huge walls of snow. To avoid any untoward incident and traffic jam, authorities have now placed officials to regulate traffic movement.

Drivers had to stop their vehicles when vehicles from opposite side were passing sharp curves because of huge snow walls between Jawhar tunnel to Qazigunda lot of time is being wasted because of this problem, driver and passengers said.

The BRO Chief Engineer said he was not aware when informed that drivers complained that they find it difficult to pass their vehicles when a vehicle comes from the opposite direction near curves.

However, he said he will direct engineer incharge of the highway to remove the snow so that two vehicles could pass easily at all places.

UNI BAS MSJ KN1437