Jammu-Srinagar highway open only to light vehicles

Only light motor vehicles would be allowed to move on the Jammu-Srinagar highway Sunday because a portion of it caved in, traffic authorities said.

A portion of the road in Chenani area of Jammu region caved in Saturday. The damaged area has been restored for light vehicular traffic, a senior traffic official told IANS.

He said that no heavy vehicle will be allowed to move on the highway Sunday till the damaged stretch is completely restored for all sorts of vehicular traffic.

The officer said only one-way traffic would be allowed, and that too only for light motor vehicles Sunday.

Over 300-km long highway, the landlocked Kashmir Valley's only surface link with the rest of the country, remained closed for three days last week because of heavy snowfall in Patnitop and Banihal sectors of the road.

The highway was thrown open for one-way traffic on Thursday.

All supplies of essential items, including petrol, diesel, kerosene oil, cooking gas, mutton, poultry, vegetables and medicines are brought to Kashmir along this road.

The closure of the highway, especially during the winter, leads to hoarding and black marketing of essential commodities in Kashmir. Prices also often skyrocket during the spells when the highway remains closed.