Agencies

Srinagar, June 30:

Traffic movement was suspended on Wednesday on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only all-weather road connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, in view of weekly maintenance, a traffic police official said.

Traffic will be resumed on the highway subject to fair weather and good road condition on Friday, he said.

Meanwhile, one-way traffic movement continued on the national highway, linking Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh with Kashmir, historic 86-km-long Mughal and Anantnag-Kishtwar roads are also through though passenger vehicle and pedestrian movement remained suspended.

He said no vehicle was allowed from Jammu or Srinagar today in view of weekly maintenance on the highway, particularly between Nashree and Jawahar tunnel.

He said the UT administration has decided to allow National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to undertake maintenance of the road to keep the highway open for traffic during other days of the week.

Subject to fair weather and good road conditions, traffic movement will be resumed on the highway on Thursday.

Today only Kashmir-bound vehicles will ply from Kargil towards Srinagar, he said, adding that vehicles had to leave Minamarg between0700 hrs to 1400 hrs. No vehicle will be allowed before and after cut-off timing, he said.

On Wednesday, vehicles will ply from Srinagar to Leh subject good road condition and fair weather on Thursday. No traffic will be allowed on Friday on the highway in view of weekly maintenance, he added.

He said only load carriers, loaded with fresh fruit and vegetables besides empty trucks and oil tankers will be allowed to ply from Herpora Shopian towards Poonch on Mughal road which is being seen as alternative to Srinagar-Jammu highway. He said no passenger traffic and pedestrian will remain banned. However, medical emergencies will be allowed, he added.

Similarly, only vehicles carrying patients for medical emergencies will be allowed to ply on Anantnag-Kishtwar road.