Srinagar: One-way traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, which remained suspended for the last two days due to landslides, was restored in the Ramban district on Thursday, officials said.
The highway opened in the early hours of the day after the clearance of slides triggered by incessant rains near Cafeteria Morh in the district.
“No fresh traffic is allowed today (Thursday) on the highway,” Deputy Superintendent of Police, Traffic (National Highway Ramban) Parul Bhardwaj said, adding, stranded traffic between Ramban and Nashri was allowed in “one way” towards the Valley after clearing landslides from the way.
The vehicles that were allowed to move to Srinagar were those carrying stranded passengers, perishable and essential commodities, and oil tankers.
The highway was closed on Monday following snowfall in the high-altitude areas and incessant rains in the plains in most parts of the union territory during the last three days.
The Jawahar Tunnel, the gateway to the Kashmir Valley along the highway, also experienced an inch of snowfall on Tuesday morning but the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) cleared the road stretch.
Landslides and shooting of stones form the hillocks overlooking the highway had blocked the road at 14 places between Nashri and Banihal, officials said.
Meanwhile, Traffic Police in a communiqué today afternoon said the Srinagar-Jammu highway shall remain shut on Friday for weekly maintenance and repair work on the road.
“No traffic shall be allowed from either direction on the highway between Nashree and Jawahar Tunnel in view of the maintenance and repairing on the road.”
The traffic police advised people to undertake travel on NH-44 only after contacting control units in Jammu on 01912459048, 9419147732, Srinagar on 01942450022/485396, 18001807091, Ramban on 9419993745, and Udhampur on 8491928625.
