Sgr-Jmu NH opens for one-way traffic
Ramban, Sep 17: The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained open on Wednesday, but traffic was allowed only in one direction due to damaged and unpaved stretches at several places, especially at Tharad in Udhampur district.
Officials said that the movement of traffic was restricted to Jammu-bound Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and heavy vehicles.
However, vehicles faced long delays as the road at Tharad is single-lane, uneven, and unpaved following repeated rains, landslides.
A Traffic Police officer deployed at the spot said that despite the slow traffic, a large number of LMVs and heavy vehicles, including apple-laden trucks destined for different parts of the country, managed to cross the vulnerable Tharad stretch till late evening.
Authorities attributed the bottleneck to a 250 to 300-metre damaged patch at Tharad, where frequent slips, slush, and landslides continue to disrupt restoration work.
Engineers of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) said that men and machinery were stationed round-the-clock, working to stabilise and rebuild the road surface.
The crisis has been particularly severe for fruit growers and traders.
For more than two weeks, hundreds of apple-laden trucks remained stranded in Qazigund, Kashmir, unable to move forward.
“I have been stranded since August 31,” said truck driver Javeed Ahmad. “I even tried to take the Mughal Road, but authorities did not allow 16-wheel trucks to pass that route.”
To assess the ground situation, Director General of Police (DGP) Nilin Prabhat on Wednesday visited the landslide-hit area at Tharad along with senior Police officers.
He interacted with engineers and officials of NHAI, who briefed him about the challenges and progress of the ongoing restoration work.
The DGP also reviewed traffic management arrangements being enforced at the site.
The traffic authorities issued a fresh advisory for commuters and transporters.
They urged vehicle operators to strictly follow traffic advisories, maintain lane discipline, and avoid overtaking to prevent congestion.
The commuters were also advised to check road status updates from Traffic Control Units (TCUs) in Jammu, Srinagar, Udhampur, and Ramban, as well as through the official Traffic Department’s X and Facebook handles before starting their journey.
