Ramban: Despite intermittent triggering of rolling stones on the Mehar-Cafeteria stretch and at Shalgari, the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained open for two-way traffic of Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and one-way traffic of Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMvs) for Jammu on Sunday.
However, traffic authorities said that during the last 24 hours up to 5 pm on Sunday, the highway remained blocked for 2 hours and 35 minutes due to shooting stones at Mehar, Cafeteria, and Shalgari Chambalwass.
They said that the movement of traffic remained slow at various places between Nashri and Banihal tunnels due to the breakdown of some HMVs.
Traffic officials monitoring the regulation of traffic in Ramban said that despite the intermittent triggering of rolling stones on Mehar and Cafeteria stretches, hundreds of LMVs crossed this stretch on a one-by-one basis for their respective destinations.
They said HMVs released from Qazigund, Kashmir after three days crossed the Banihal-Ramban sector of the highway towards Jammu and other respective destinations in a regulated manner.
Meanwhile, J&K Traffic Department issued a fresh advisory for Monday stating that subject to fair weather and road clearance, LMVs would be allowed to move on either side of the highway while HMVs would be allowed from Jakhani, Udhampur towards Kashmir after assessing the road and traffic situation on the highway on Monday morning.
Traffic Control Unit (TCU) Udhampur has been asked to liaise with TCU Ramban before releasing the HMVs on Monday morning.
The cut-off timings have been fixed from 8 am to 12 pm from Nagrota, Jammu, and from 9 am to 1 pm from Jakhani, Udhampur for the Srinagar-bound LMVs.
The cut-off timings for Jammu-bound LMVs have been fixed from 9 am to 1 pm from Qazigund, Kashmir on Monday.
People have been advised to undertake journeys on the highway only after confirming the status of the road from TCU Jammu, TCU Srinagar, and TCU Ramban.
The security forces have been directed not to ply against the advisory because of the narrow carriageways between Nashri and Banihal.
Earlier during the day, SSP Traffic Mohita Sharma and other Traffic Police personnel, who were regulating traffic on the Mehar, Cafeteria stretch had a narrow escape when a huge boulder hit the road near them on this stretch.
However, all escaped unhurt.
Shooting stones are occasionally occurring on the Mehar-Cafeteria stretch.
