The reopening of the strategic 270-km highway came as a major relief to thousands of passengers who had been left stranded following the closure of the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country on Wednesday.
Heavy snowfall around the Jawahar Tunnel — the gateway to Kashmir — and landslides triggered by incessant rains at over half a dozen places between Banihal and Ramban had forced the authorities to suspend vehicular movement on the highway.
“The debris was cleared and the road was made traffic-worthy by Friday evening, thus allowing the authorities to clear the large number of stranded vehicles,” deputy superintendent of police (traffic), national highway, Suresh Sharma told PTI.
“However, shooting of stones and two landslides in Digdole area overnight disrupted the movement of traffic once again. After hectic efforts, the road was cleared and the Kashmir-bound traffic was allowed from Jammu on Saturday morning,” he said.
He added that no vehicle was being allowed from the opposite direction to avoid a traffic jam.
The traffic is plying smoothly and hundreds of vehicles, including trucks carrying essential commodities, have crossed the Jawahar Tunnel till this afternoon, Sharma said.
Agencies
Banihal/Jammu, February 23:
The traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway resumed on Saturday after remaining suspended for three consecutive days due to snowfall and multiple landslides, an official said.
