Jammu, Sept 9: The 270-km-long Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, the lifeline of Kashmir, remained closed for vehicular traffic for the ninth consecutive day on Tuesday, with men and machines working on war-footing to restore a badly damaged 250-metre stretch in Udhampur district.
The highway has been blocked since August 26 following torrential rains, flash floods, and landslides, barring a few hours of partial restoration on August 30. In total, the route has remained shut for 15 days, leaving over 4,000 vehicles stranded across Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Udhampur, Ramban, Kashmir Valley, and even Punjab, officials said.
Traffic police said movement from Jakheni (Udhampur) towards Srinagar remains suspended due to 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,” a traffic advisory said, adding that passengers heading to Katra and Udhampur should carry valid ID cards to ensure smoother clearance.
According to officials, a massive landslide at Thard and the washing away of road portions at Balli Nallah have posed the biggest challenge. Six huge rocks were blasted and removed on Monday, while three more were excavated to clear the alignment. “The restoration at Thard is proving to be the most difficult task, but the highway will soon be opened for traffic,” they said.
While most blockades in Ramban and Udhampur have been cleared, the 250-metre buried stretch in Thard continues to delay reopening. The pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta Hills has also remained suspended for the 15th day.
Meanwhile, the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri highway connecting Ladakh is closed due to a landslide at Zojila, while the Batote-Doda-Kishtwar road also remains blocked. Only the Mughal Road, linking Poonch with Shopian, is open for inter-regional travel.
Officials estimate nearly 12,000 km of road length across Jammu and Kashmir has suffered damage in the recent floods and landslides.
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