Jammu-Srinagar highway opened to one-way traffic

One-way traffic will be allowed on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on Tuesday, said officials.

The highway was thrown open on Monday after it remained closed for five consecutive days.

"Only vehicles from Jammu to Srinagar will be allowed on the highway today (Tuesday) and no vehicle will be allowed to move in the opposite direction. Two-way traffic will be restored only after the highway is made completely roadworthy", a traffic department officer told IANS here.

The over-300 km long highway remained closed for five days due to incessant rainfall in the state, triggering landslides and causing the road to cave in at some places.

"Yesterday (Monday) nearly 8,000 vehicles, including vehicles carrying essentials food were cleared...Those vehicles have already reached the valley", the officer said.

The closure of the national highway often leads to shortage of essential commodities and price hike and black-marketing in the valley and other remote areas of the state.

The Jammu-Srinagar strategic highway is the only surface link of the landlocked valley with the rest of the world, but remains often closed during winters.