Jammu Srinagar highway cleared by armed forces, BRO

The vital road network south of Pir Panjal in Jammu and Kashmir has been restored on all the important roads by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and army engineers. The army is swiftly working towards restoring the roads across Jammu and Kashmir that were damaged due to floods.

The Jammu Srinagar National Highway has also been opened on 16 September. Multiple landslides were cleared with simultaneous deployment of engineers and specialist equipment coordinated by the Chief Engineer of HQ Northern Command based at Udhampur to restore this vital road.

A massive landslide at Ramsoo near Ramban was the major impediment to opening the National Highway where over 300 meters of road had been completely washed away leaving a sheer cliff of 80 degrees slope. The entire hillside had to be excavated afresh and the effort had to be further intensified due to a repeat landslide on September 12. The engineers worked night and day to make a new passage through the mountain slope.

Work is now on to construct a new bridge over the Ans River near Budhal, which will be completed in two days while several Army bridges have already been constructed and landslides cleared expeditiously by the Sappers (as the Military Engineers are called) and the BRO.

Earlier, the BRO restored the Land Link to the Kashmir Valley from the Ladakh side on September 9 and cleared the Sinthan Pass route via Kishtwar on September 13.

Clearance of remaining debris and slush on several roads in the State continues in an effort to improve trafficability on all road links in the State.