The Srinagar-Jammu highway continued to remain closed for the third consecutive day Friday, even as the local meteorological department predicted dry weather in the Valley until Tuesday.
Inspector general of traffic police Alok Kumar told Greater Kashmir that the highway is closed and there have been fresh landslides at eight places along the 300-km-long road.
“For about nine kilometers, there is three feet of snow on both sides of the Jawahar tunnel,” Kumar said.
He said the road clearance operation is underway.
“We are trying (to throw it open), but it is difficult to say whether the road will be opened on Saturday or not,” he said, adding that at most places along the road, “frequent shooting stones are taking place and hampering the clearance operation”.
The Jammu-Srinagar highway, the only all-weather surface link between Kashmir and rest of world, was closed due to heavy snowfall and landslides on Wednesday. Over 1500 vehicles, mostly trucks carrying essential supplies, are stranded at various places on the highway.
A traffic police official said due to landslides and snowfall, the highway has become “weak” at some spots for smooth vehicular movement, while it is slippery elsewhere.
Apart from snowfall in Jawahar tunnel and Patnitop areas, there were landslides in Ramban district, at Marog, Battery Chashma, Anokhi fall and Panthal, an official said.
The highway has remained closed for more than 15 days since the beginning of this year owing to intermittent spells of snowfall and rains.
On Tuesday, one-way traffic was allowed from Srinagar towards Jammu after five days of the road closure.
The flight operations resumed at the Srinagar airport this afternoon after two days of suspension, an official said.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Kashmiris are reported to be stranded in Delhi following cancellation of their flights on Wednesday and Thursday owing to bad weather and poor visibility at the Srinagar airport.
Meanwhile, weather improved significantly in Kashmir on Friday.
A Met department official said weather is expected to remain dry till Tuesday.