The Srinagar-Jammu national highway witnessed frequent traffic jams with vehicles moving at snail’s pace at most of the places. The traffic on the highway was restored yesterday after the highway remained closed for two days owing to landslides near Udhampur.

Pertinently, landslip at Morh Passi in Udhampur district on September 11 had hit the movement of vehicles on the 300-km highway, the lone all-weather road connecting Kashmir to the rest of the country. It had damaged a bridge and clogged the road.

The traffic on the road was restored yesterday after the debris was cleared by the authorities. However, only one-way traffic was allowed on the highway.

“We had given clearance for movement of light vehicles only however, due to some factor trucks were also allowed to proceed towards Jammu which created a mess on the highway,” an official wishing not to be named said.

Meanwhile, truck drivers at Qazigund protested and demanded to restore two-way traffic on the highway.

“The drivers at Qazigund toll post protested and asked the police to restore the traffic as they were stuck there for 3-4 days with fruit laden trucks,” a National Highway traffic police official said.

He said that the officials allowed around 2500 trucks who were stranded there to move towards Jammu despite one-way traffic. The movement of 2500 trucks towards Jammu led to the jam on the highway.

He said that the traffic Jam also occurred due to the nomads traveling with their flocks towards Jammu.

“The traffic was slow due to nomads traveling on the highway,” he told Kashmir Vision over phone.

Meanwhile, the traffic police claimed that they cleared the highway in the afternoon after which the traffic from both the side was running smoothly.

“At 3 pm we cleared the road and it is fine till now,”  he added.

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