Srinagar-Leh highway resumes

Srinagar, Nov 20: The national highway, connecting Ladakh region with Kashmir valley, reopened while the historic Mughal road remained closed for the fourth day on Monday due to slippery road condition following snowfall.

Meanwhile, the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway, linking Kashmir with the rest of the country was through for traffic though heavy vehicles will continue to ply from one side. Traffic on the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh was resumed and vehicles were allowed to ply from Drass to Sonmarg this morning, a traffic police official. He said later in the day vehicles will be allowed from Kashmir to Leh provided the weather remained favourable. Due to snowfall and slippery road conditions following below freezing temperature, particularly at Sonamarg, Zojila, Meenmarg and Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, traffic on the 434-km-long Srinagar-Jammu highway was suspended on Friday. However, about 150 vehicles, mostly empty trucks and oil tankers, were allowed from Drass to Srinagar on Saturday and about 200 vehicles yesterday following improvement in the weather condition. He said that traffic on 86-km-long historic Mughal road, linking Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, also remained suspended since Friday afternoon due to fresh snowfall and slippery road condition, particularly at Peer-ki-Gali. However, traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway was plying. He said light vehicles will ply from both sides while heavy vehicles operated from Jammu to Srinagar on Monday. No heavy vehicle will be allowed from opposite direction on the highway. Hundreds of vehicles, including those carrying essentials for Kashmir left different parts of the Jammu region this morning. UNI