Ramban: Vehicular traffic movement on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway resumed after remaining suspended for several hours due to shooting stones at Panthyal near Ramsu in Ramban district on Saturday.
The stones were occasionally rolling down from the hillock at Panthyal.
However, traffic authorities said during the last 24 hours, the highway remained blocked for 10 hours and 20 minutes.
They said that the highway remained blocked for 8 hours due to shooting stones at Panthyal and for 2 hours and 20 minutes due to the closure of the Chenani-Nashri tunnel.
Authorities said that the traffic movement was stopped from both sides of the highway because of a road blockade at Panthyal due to continuous shooting stones on Saturday morning.
Officials said Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) were stopped at various locations on the highway after rolling stones came on the highway at Panthyal near Ramsu that hampered the inflow of vehicular traffic on both sides of the highway.
They said rolling stones stopped triggering from the hillock in the afternoon after that men and machinery of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) were summoned.
Although the concerned agency tried to clear the road immediately, continuous shooting stones hampered restoration work for several hours. The stones were occasionally rolling down from the hillock at Panthyal for a long time.
Superintendent of Police, Ramban, Mohita Sharma told Greater Kashmir that after a respite in shooting stones at Panthyal, the accumulated stones were cleared from the road and traffic resumed on the highway.
However, she advised vehicle operators and people to travel with caution on the highway.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ramban, Mussarat Islam said traffic on the highway was restored Saturday afternoon and stranded traffic was being cleared on priority.
Meanwhile, J&K Traffic Police Department issued a fresh advisory for Sunday stating that subject to fair weather and road clearance, LMVs would be allowed to ply on both sides of the highway while HMVs stopped at Jakhani, Udhampur would be allowed to move towards Kashmir after assessing the road and traffic situation Sunday morning.
People have been advised not to undertake journeys without confirming the status of the highway from the Traffic Control Units of Jammu, Udhampur, Ramban, and Srinagar as the Meteorological Department (MeT) has predicted heavy snow and rainfall on Sunday and there are chances of the highway blockade, the traffic authorities said.