Srinagar, February 28: Traffic was resumed on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway from both ways for passenger vehicles, after remaining suspended for two days due to snowfall and landslides.
Meanwhile, the National Highway, linking the Ladakh region with the rest of the state and a number of roads to border areas in north Kashmir remained closed due to snowfall.
We have allowed passenger vehicles from Srinagar this morning after the stranded vehicles were cleared till late last night, a traffic police official told UNI here today.
He said no truck or heavy vehicle was allowed from the summer capital to winter capital Jammu.
Only passenger vehicles from Jammu have been allowed from 1200 hrs on the Highway. This, he said, has been done to avoid any traffic jam between Jaawhar tunnel and Ramban, the most troubled area on the Highway, the only way linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country.
Decision to allow heavy vehicles, including trucks, loaded with essentials for Kashmir valley, will be taken after receiving fresh reports from the officials deployed at different places on the Highway.
Traffic was suspended on the highway on February 26 evening following fresh snowfall resulting in slippery road conditions at Jahawar tunnel and landslides, triggered by rains, in Ramban area.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) responsible for the maintainance of the Highway pressed into service hundreds of its men and sophisticated machines to clear the snow and landslides.
Almost all vehicles stranded at different places on the Highway were allowed to move towards their respective destinations till late last night.
The Srinagar-Leh National Highway remained closed from Sonmarg to Meenamarg due to heavy snowfall since December 1 last year.
At Zojila, on the Highway, more than 15 feet of snow had accumulated. The Centre and state government have already approved construction of a tunnel at Zojila to make the Srinagar-Leh Highway an all-weather road.
A number of roads to areas near Line of Control (LoC) also remained closed due to accumulation of more than ten feet of snow in north Kashmir districts of Kupwara and Bandipora.
-Agencies