Srinagar, April 7 – The strategic Srinagar-Jammu national highway was reopened for passenger traffic on Tuesday after it had been closed for a day due to a landslide and rockslides in the Ramban district of J&K.
Traffic department officials said this morning that passenger traffic has been allowed on both sides of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44).
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Traffic National Highway, Raja Adil, told reporters that vehicular movement has resumed on the national highway after the restoration of the strategic connectivity.
Authorities have advised commuters to strictly adhere to lane discipline, warning that overtaking and driving in the wrong lane may lead to traffic congestion along the route.
People have also been urged not to listen to rumors and instead verify road status through official platforms of the Traffic Police, including their social media handles and Traffic Control Units (TCUs).
The nearly 300 km long highway is the lifeline for supplies to the landlocked Valley, as most essentials of life are still brought into Kashmir through this highway.
LPG, petrol, diesel, kerosene, mutton, poultry products, and vegetables are still brought into the Valley through tankers and trucks despite the fully operational all-weather rail link between Jammu and Kashmir.
Unless cargo trains start bringing in essentials of life and carry out fruit, etc., from the Valley to national markets during the peak season, the dependence on the highway will continue.
With massive renovation and restoration carried out by laying new bridges, flyovers, and tunnels, the travel time between Srinagar and Jammu has been reduced to five hours from the previous 10 to 12 hours.
Despite this, the highway remains a highly weather-dependent road due to the challenging stretch from Ramsoo to Ramban town. Rockslides and landslides triggered by rain often block the highway in this stretch, and restoration work sometimes takes days together.