Slippery road conditions in Tharad section of J-K highway, only one-way traffic permitted

Jammu, Sep 11 (PTI) One-way traffic has been allowed on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on Thursday due to slippery road conditions in the Tharad section of Udhampur district, officials said.

The highway was reopened for traffic on Wednesday after remaining closed for nine days.

The 270-km highway, which is the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, had remained closed since August 26 due to multiple blockages caused by heavy rains, flash floods, and landslides. It was briefly reopened on August 30, but closed again. In total, the highway had remained blocked for 14 days.

"Subject to fair weather and good road condition, only one-way traffic shall be permitted for light motor vehicles (LMVs) from Jammu towards Srinagar on the highway. These vehicles shall be allowed from Nagrota (Jammu)," a traffic advisory said.

It further said the Jammu-Srinagar highway has not been fully restored at Tharad in Udhampur.

"Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) traffic was allowed on a trial basis, but due to the slippery surface of the road, vehicles got jammed and were pushed through JCBs and loaders throughout the day," it added.

The advisory further said that due to the wet bed of this stretch, movement of heavy motor vehicles cannot be permitted until the bed dries up.

Traffic is plying on Mughal road, Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumari road, and Sinthan road. PTI AB DV DV