Ramban: The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained open for two-way traffic of Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and one-way traffic of Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) for Kashmir on Monday.
Traffic authorities said that Jammu bound HMVs could not be released from Qazigund, Kashmir due to a delay in clearance of Kashmir bound HMV traffic because of shooting stones and landslides at several places on the highway on Monday.
Traffic officials monitoring the regulation of traffic in Ramban said that hundreds of LMVs plied toward their respective destinations during the day.
They said hundreds of HMVs carrying essential supplies for Kashmir crossed Banihal-Qazigund Tunnel till late Tuesday evening. Traffic authorities said that during the last 24 hours up to 5 pm on Monday, the highway remained blocked for 6 hours and 44 minutes.
They said that the highway remained blocked for 4 hours and 14 minutes due to the closure of the Banihal-Qazigund Tunnel and for two hours due to road maintenance works at Maroog (Sita Ram Passi) and Dalwass near Nashri and for 30 minutes due to shooting stones at Mehar, Cafeteria.
They said that the movement of traffic remained slow at various places between Nashri and Banihal tunnels due to the breakdown of five HMVs.
Meanwhile, J&K Traffic Department issued a fresh advisory for Tuesday stating that subject to fair weather and road clearance, LMVs would be allowed to move on either side of the highway on Tuesday. It said that since Jammu bound HMVs could not be released from Qazigund, Kashmir due to a delay in clearance of Kashmir bound HMV traffic due to shooting stones and landslides at several places on the highway, after assessing the road and traffic situation on the highway on Tuesday morning, HMVs would be allowed to move towards Jammu from Qazigund, Kashmir.
TCU Srinagar has been asked to liaise with TCU Ramban before releasing the HMVs.
The cut-off timings have been fixed from 8 am to 12 pm from Nagrota, Jammu, and from 9 am to 1 pm from Jakhani, Udhampur for Srinagar-bound LMVs. The cut-off timings for Jammu-bound LMVs have been fixed from 8 am to 12 pm from Qazigund, Kashmir.
People have been advised to undertake journeys on the highway only after confirming the status of the road from TCU Jammu, TCU Srinagar, and TCU Ramban.
Security forces have been directed not to ply against the advisory because of the narrow carriageways between Nashri-Banihal.
On Saturday, Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta had impressed upon the traffic authorities to completely do away with the halting of trucks at Nagrota and Qazigund on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.