Traffic halted on Srinagar-Jammu National highway after snowfall

Ramban, Feb 20: The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, the only surface link connecting the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country, was closed on Thursday evening due to snowfall in the Banihal-Qazigund section and slippery road conditions between Ramban and Banihal.

Traffic officials said vehicular movement on the busy highway was suspended around 7 PM following a fresh spell of snow and rain.

They stated that snowfall on the Ramsu-Banihal and Banihal-Qazigund sectors, along with rain in the Nashri-Banihalsector, led to the temporary suspension of traffic.

Senior Superintendent of Traffic Police Rohit Baskotra said that traffic has been stopped from both ends of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway due to slippery road conditions between Banihal and Ramsoo caused by heavy snowfall.

The SSP has advised light and medium passenger vehicles (LMVs) not to ply on the highway until the weather improves.

Commuters have been urged to avoid traveling on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway until conditions improve and the road is cleared. Travelers are advised to check the latest road status updates on the Traffic Police Twitter handle, Facebook page, and Traffic Control Units in Jammu, Udhampur, Ramban, and Srinagar.

Earlier in the day, traffic authorities reported that hundreds of light, medium, and heavy vehicles had successfully crossed the Ramban-Banihal stretch towards their respective destinations before the highway was closed.