J-K: Mughal road closed for vehicular traffic

The Mughal road in Jammu and Kashmir has been closed for vehicular traffic between Chandimarh to Heerpora, an official said on Monday.

"The Mughal road will remain closed for vehicular traffic with effect from December 30 between Chandimarh (Poonch) to Heerpora (Shopian)," an official, quoting an order from Chief Engineer Projects Organisation, said.

The road, which connects Poonch and Rajouri districts in Jammu region with south Kashmir's Shopian, has been closed for the safety of commuters as the road surface has turned slippery due to sharp drop in temperature, the official said.

The Mughal road usually remains closed during winters due to heavy snowfall in the high altitude Pir Ki Gali and adjoining areas.

Due to early snowfall in November, the road remained closed for over a month and was cleared for one-way traffic on December 8, but it was closed again after a fresh spell of snowfall on December 11.

The 434-km Srinagar-Leh National Highway is also closed for vehicular traffic since December 11. Both the roads are likely to reopen in April, depending on the snow clearance operation in February-March.

The MeT office has forecast light to moderate rains and snowfall in the union territory over the first week of the new year.