Ramban, Sep 13: The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained partially open on Saturday, but vehicular movement continued to remain slow due to the poor condition of a single-lane road stretch at Tharad in Udhampur district.
Traffic officials said the existing road condition from Samroli to Tharad cannot cater to the heavy volume of traffic.
“We are managing traffic and repair works simultaneously to improve the road conditions and dimensions between Jakhani and Samroli, especially at Tharad and Balli Nullah, through the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI),” an officer said.
Authorities said traffic is being regulated by enforcing cut-off timings at different locations, including Nashri, Chenani, Chanderkote, Ramban, and other vulnerable stretches.
Officials said that until additional men and machinery are deployed by NHAI, the road between Jakhani and Chenani would remain unable to handle the existing traffic load.
At Tharad, a 250 to 300-meter damaged, uneven, and unpaved road stretch is forcing authorities to manage movement on a rotational basis.
A Traffic Police official said that the single-lane bottleneck was disrupting the smooth flow of vehicles.
The highway had earlier remained blocked for eight consecutive days before being partially restored on September 10.
Currently, traffic movement between Udhampur and Nashri is being managed on a one-way basis, with priority given to vehicles carrying essential supplies and passenger traffic bound for Kashmir.
However, fruit-laden trucks from Qazigund were seen halted in long queues at Ramban, Chanderkote, and Nashri on Saturday.
Traffic authorities said, despite the “pathetic” condition of the road at Tharad, movement was being regulated one way.
Traffic between Chenani and Udhampur is also being managed on a rotational basis.
Meanwhile, prolonged closure and restricted movement on the highway caused severe inconvenience to people, including students and patients from Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, and Kashmir, who rely on the road to reach Srinagar and Jammu.
The business community has also been hit hard as the highway disruption has severely affected trade and the supply chain of essential commodities.
Drivers and vehicle operators remain among the worst sufferers, many of them stranded for days at different locations until partial restoration was achieved at Tharad on Wednesday.
Despite partial reopening, slow traffic movement at Tharad has left hundreds of trucks still waiting to cross the landslide-affected area, highlighting the urgent need for expedited restoration works.
