Ramban: On the directions of the government, the Srinagar- Jammu National Highway will remain closed on Friday for necessary repair and maintenance works between Chenani -Nashri and Banihal –Qaziqund (Navyuga) tunnels.
The highway would remain shut for 24 hours from 6 AM on Friday to 6 AM on Saturday.
According to an advisory issued by Jammu and Kashmir Traffic Police Department, vehicular traffic on either side of the Jammu Srinagar National Highway between the Nashri and Banihal tunnels will remain suspended on Friday for undertaking necessary repair and maintenance works of NH-44.
No Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) or Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) except medical emergency vehicles will be allowed to ply on NH-44 between the Nashri tunnel and the Navyuga tunnel and vice versa for undertaking important repair and maintenance works on NH-44, by NHAI.
Friday has been declared a traffic dry day between Nashri and Navyuga tunnels on the directions of Jammu and Kashmir, Union Territory Government.
Senior Superintendent of Traffic Police National Highway Ramban, Mohita Sharma said the traffic will remain suspended from Friday 6 AM till Saturday 6 AM, on the highway.
Earlier Srinagar Jammu National Highway remained open for two-way traffic of light and medium passenger vehicles and one-way traffic of heavy vehicles for Kashmir on Thursday.
However, traffic authorities said during the last 24 hours up to 5 PM, Thursday Jammu Srinagar NH-44 remained blocked for five hours and 48 minutes.
They said the highway remained blocked for four hours and 26 minutes due to the closure of the Banihal-Qazigund (Navyug) tunnel, for one hour and 1 minute due to shooting stones at Mehar, Cafeteria, Rampari, and for 26 minutes due to the closure of Chenani-Nashri tunnel.
They further said movement of traffic remains slow at various places between Nashri and Banihal tunnels due to the breakdown of two heavy Vehicles.
Traffic officials monitoring the regulation of traffic in Ramban said hundreds of private cars, passenger light, and medium vehicles have crossed the Ramban-Banihal stretch of the highway for their respective destinations.
They said Heavy Vehicles released from Jakhani, Udhampur are still crossing the Nashri Ramban sector toward Kashmir in a regulated manner on the highway.
