Mughal Road closed for 5th day
Rajouri / Ramban, Jan 9: The Mughal Road remained closed for the fifth consecutive day, while the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained open for two-way traffic on Friday.
Authorities are expecting partial restoration of the Mughal Road by Saturday with Border Roads Organisation (BRO) continuing the snow clearance work, which is nearing completion.
The road has been closed since Monday morning, after which fresh snow accumulated on the stretch.
Since Tuesday evening, the officials said, BRO was clearing the snow and machinery, including some cutters, were working to restore the road.
“The snow clearance work is almost in its final stages,” they said.
The officials said that road restoration was expected to be complete on Saturday.
However, they said that the road restoration primarily depends on weather conditions, as any further frost conditions could lead to a delay in road restoration.
Meanwhile, the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained open for two-way traffic on Friday, providing relief to commuters and transporters.
Traffic authorities said that, subject to fair weather and satisfactory road conditions, Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and heavy vehicles would continue to be allowed from both directions on Saturday as well.
Officials said that LMVs and heavy vehicles were permitted to move throughout the day in both directions.
However, traffic movement remained slow at several places due to single-lane stretches and vehicle breakdowns.
Traffic congestion was reported at Balinalla, Dewal, Nashri-Dalwas, and along the Marog-Kishtwari Pather stretch.
Engineers of NHAI said that road repair and road construction work were going on at several locations between the Udhampur-Ramban and Ramban-Banihal stretches.
Authorities have advised the travellers to check the latest traffic updates from Traffic Control Units (TCUs) at Srinagar, Ramban, and Jammu, and follow official advisories issued through the social media platforms of the J&K Traffic Police before commencing their journey.
Passengers were urged to prefer daytime travel and avoid night journeys, especially on vulnerable stretches of the highway.
Officials cautioned that the movement of heavy vehicles between the Nashri and Navyug tunnels during night hours could cause inconvenience and lead to further congestion.
Drivers were also advised to maintain lane discipline, as overtaking and wrong-lane driving could trigger traffic jams and pose serious safety risks.
Meanwhile, the Kishtwar-Sinthan Top-Anantnag National Highway remained closed due to the accumulation of snow along the route.
Authorities said that the restoration work on the highway would begin once weather conditions improve.
