Agencies

Srinagar, April 14:

Traffic was on Wednesday suspended on 270-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only all weather road connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, for weekly maintenance.

Earlier, Since November last year Friday was for weekly maintenance of the highway which has now been changed to Wednesday.

No vehicle was allowed from Jammu or Srinagar on the highway today, which has been declared maintenance day by the authorities to allow the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to carry out maintenance and repair of the road, a traffic police official told UNI. However, he said traffic will remained suspended from Uhampur to Jawahar tunnel. Local vehicles can ply from Jammu to Udhampur and Srinagar to Jawahar tunnel on the highway, he added.

Meanwhile, the historic 86-km-long Mughal road, seen as alternative to Srinagar-Jammu national highway, remained closed though snow clearance operation had been completed recently, residents alleged.

The historic road connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region was closed in December last year due to accumulation of snow and avalanches.

The Anantnag and Kishtwar (Jammu) road passing through Sinthan top also remained closed due to accumulation of snow.