Fresh traffic not allowed on Jammu-Srinagar highway, stranded vehicles being cleared

The authorities Wednesday did not allow fresh traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway after shooting of stones from a hillock overlooking the road left hundreds of vehicles stranded, officials said.

It was decided to clear the stranded vehicles and therefore no fresh traffic was allowed on the 270-km highway either from Srinagar or Jammu this morning, the officials said.

They said the decision to reopen the traffic on the highway will be taken later in the day after all the stranded vehicles are cleared and the situation near the scene of shooting of stones reviewed.

A massive landslide struck the highway, the only all weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, at Gangroo near Ramsu on December 19, forcing the closure of the highway for two days.

Though the authorities after hectic efforts removed the debris and ensured reopening of the road Friday, the intermittent shooting of stones at the same spot over the past five days caused frequent disruption in the smooth movement of the traffic.

The traffic on the highway is restricted to one-way over the past several months, playing alternatively from the twin capitals of Srinagar and Jammu, in view of the ongoing four-laning project.

"The shooting of stones continued almost throughout the day yesterday, leaving hundreds of Jammu-bound vehicles stranded, resulting in massive traffic jam. The road was cleared for traffic around midnight, but again the shooting of stones forced suspension of the traffic this morning," a traffic department official said.

He said the shooting of stones stopped Tuesday afternoon again, allowing the traffic department to show green signal to the stranded vehicles.

Most of the passenger vehicles have already been cleared and now the concentration is on the heavy vehicles, the official said.