Srinagar: Only one-way traffic will ply on Tuesday on the 270-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only all weather road connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, a traffic police official said today.
Last night the traffic department had announced that no fresh vehicle will be allowed from Srinagar or Jammu on the highway and only vehicles stranded between Udhampur and Nashree will be allowed to move towards Kashmir valley on Tuesday.
The official had said that in view of inclement weather prediction issued by MeT department for next few days there are chances of blockade of national highway. Peoples are advised to avoid journey on Jammu-Srinagar highway on Tuesday . However, subject to fair weather and better road condition, only stranded vehicles between Udhampur and Nashree shall be allowed towards Srinagar.
Releasing the fresh advisory in view of improvement in the weather today, official said that one-way traffic will continue to ply on the highway till further orders.
Today Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) will have to ply from Srinagar to Jammu and no vehicle will be allowed from opposite direction, he said.
The LMVs had to cross Zig Qazigund between 1200 hrs to 1500 hrs, he said adding no vehicle will be allowed before or after cut of timing.
The Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) will also ply from Zig towards Jammu after LMVs, he said.
People travelling on the highway alleged that despite one-way, massive traffic jam for hours on the highway has become a routine.
Yesterday all vehicles, including those carrying passengers, which had left Jammu early in the morning were stopped between Udhampur and Samroli for more than five hours without giving any reason. Some traffic officials said that there was some accident while others said security force convoy was first allowed to move towards Kashmir, alleged a passenger Shafiq Ahmad . He said minor children could not get any water or food during period. We had left Jammu at 0400 hrs but reached Srinagar only at 2230 hrs, he alleged adding there were still hundreds of vehicles after us. He said normally we were reaching Srinagar between 1300 hrs to 1400 hrs in the past.
Traffic official said the national highway, the only link between the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh and Kashmir remained shut due to accumulation of snow and avalanches since January Ist, this year. There was fresh snowfall at Sonamarg and Zojila pass during the past 36 hours.
Meanwhile, there is also no change on historic 86-km-long Mughal road which remained closed since December last year though Mechanical Engineering Department (MED) has started snow clearance operation despite threat of avalanches.
Traffic official said there is a forecast for rain and snow which could trigger landslides and shooting stones on the highway during the next 48 hours.
