Ramban: Despite the rains the Srinagar Jammu national highway remained open for two-way traffic of light motor vehicles (LMVs) and one-way traffic of heavy vehicles for Jammu on Saturday.
Traffic officials said hundreds of private cars, passenger light, and medium vehicles plied as usual on either side of the highway. They said Heavy Motors Vehicles released from Qazigund, Kashmir are still heading towards Jammu and other destinations without any interruption on the highway.
They said the highway remained blocked for five hours and 32 minutes due to the closure of the Chenani-Nashri tunnel and for one hour and 13 minutes due to the closure of the Banihal-Qazigund (Navyug) tunnel.
They said movement of traffic remained slow due to the breakdown of 12 HMVs, and on foot movement of nomads and their livestock between the Nashri-Banihal tunnels.
Meanwhile, traffic police headquarters issued an advisory for Sunday stating that subject to fair weather and better road conditions light vehicles would be allowed to move on both sides of the highway whereas heavy load carriers would be allowed to move towards Kashmir from Jakhani, Udhampur after assessing road traffic situation on Srinagar Jammu National highway on Sunday morning.
TCU Udhampur shall liaise with TCU Ramban before releasing the HMVs. They advised Security Forces not to ply against the advisory because of possible traffic congestion because of the narrow carriageway between Nashri and Banihal on Jammu-Srinagar Highway.
People are advised to undertake journeys on highways only after confirming the status of the road from traffic control units Srinagar, Ramban, Udhampur, and Jammu on Thursday morning.
Deputy Commissioner Ramban, Mussarat Islam said despite heavy rain across the Ramban district highway is open for traffic, however, he advised people to check the status of NH-44 from the traffic control rooms before undertaking journeys.
