The 270-kilometre-long Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained closed for the ninth consecutive day on Tuesday, with work underway to restore badly affected patches in Udhampur district.
The Doda-Kishtwar road and the Sonamarg-Srinagar-Gumri road, connecting the union territory of J&K with Ladakh, have also remained closed due to landslides, officials said.
The highway has remained shut due to several landslides since August 26, following monsoon rains, flash floods, and landslides. It was reopened on August 30 for a few hours but closed again the next day. In total, the highway has been closed for 15 days.
An advisory on the official traffic police X handle stated on Tuesday: “The highway is still closed for vehicular movement from Jakheni (Udhampur) towards Srinagar and vice versa due to road blockages between Jakheni and Balli Nallah. No vehicular movement shall be allowed from Nagrota (Jammu) towards Reasi, Chenani, Patnitop, Doda, Ramban, Banihal, Srinagar, and vice versa.”
It also cautioned that travellers heading to Katra and Udhampur towns must carry a valid photo ID to prove their identity and specify the reason for travel.
Officials said the massive landslide triggered by flash floods, which damaged the difficult stretch of the highway, has been rebuilt after extensive efforts. “It has proved to be a big challenge. With this, the road is beginning to clear, and the blocked highway will soon be opened for traffic” they added.
The pilgrimage to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine also remained suspended for the 15th consecutive day.
The closure of highways and other inter-regional roads to Kashmir has resulted in over 4,000 vehicles being stranded at various areas in Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Udhampur, Ramban, the Kashmir Valley, and Punjab, officials said.
Also Read: Over 12,000 km road network hit by floods in J&K
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