Sgr-Jmu NH opens for Jammu-bound traffic after 3 days
Ramban, Sep 22: The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained open for one-way traffic of Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and heavy vehicles towards Jammu on Monday after three days.
Traffic officials said the movement along the highway was slow due to the on-foot migration of nomadic families with their livestock towards the plains of Jammu, coupled with the breakdown of several heavy vehicles between the Ramban and Banihal sectors.
Officials managing traffic at Tharad said that LMV passenger vehicles, along with apple-laden trucks released from Qazigund in Kashmir, crossed the landslide-affected Tharad stretch between Chenani and Udhampur, though at a slow pace due to the single-lane, uneven, and unpaved road.
They said that hundreds of LMVs heading towards Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban districts crossed the sector early morning.
Over the last three days, authorities have focused on clearing the backlog of hundreds of Kashmir-bound vehicles, including trucks carrying essential supplies, oil, and LPG tankers.
Sources said that on Monday morning, traffic congestion was reported between Ramban and Banihal due to narrow road stretches, stranded Srinagar-bound heavy vehicles, and the rush of Jammu-bound passenger vehicles released from Qazigund, besides the seasonal movement of nomadic families with their livestock from high-altitude areas.
Officials warned that the seasonal migration of nomads through the highway is likely to slow traffic in the coming days as well.
Due to recent rains, road stretches, especially at Balli Nullah, Samroli, and Tharad, suffered extensive damage, forcing the authorities to restrict heavy vehicular traffic on a one-way basis at Tharad between the Udhampur and Chenani sectors.
Meanwhile, traffic authorities advised commuters and vehicle operators to strictly follow the traffic plan and avoid travelling against advisories, in view of possible congestion between Balli Nullah and Tharad in Udhampur district, and between Maroog and Kishtwari Pather in Ramban district.
Commuters have been urged to confirm the road status from Traffic Control Units at Jammu, Srinagar, Udhampur, and Ramban, or check updates shared on the Traffic Department’s official social media handles on X and Facebook.
