Ramban, Sep 12: The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway on Friday remained partially open for stranded traffic, though vehicular movement was halted for several hours to facilitate urgent repair works and blasting of boulders at Tharad in Udhampur district.
Officials said the highway traffic was being regulated on a rotational basis at Tharad, where a 250-meter stretch was severely damaged due to torrential rains on September 2.
The vital road link had remained blocked for eight consecutive days before being partially restored on September 10.
Traffic authorities said the movement between Udhampur and Nashri is currently being managed on a one-way basis, with priority being given to vehicles carrying essential supplies to Kashmir. Stranded fruit-laden trucks from Qazigund have also been permitted to cross the damaged single-lane stretch in a regulated manner.
On Friday, traffic was suspended for a few hours to allow the blasting of heavy boulders for widening the single-lane road into two lanes.
“After completion of the necessary repair works, Srinagar-bound trucks carrying essential commodities were allowed to move in the evening,” an official said.
Traffic between Chenani and Udhampur is also being managed on a rotational basis.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Traffic, National Highway, Raja Adil Hamid, and the Project Director of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) are supervising both restoration works and traffic management at Tharad.
Meanwhile, Jammu-bound trucks released from Qazigund were stopped at Seri, Chanderkote, and Nashri during the day to avoid congestion on the damaged stretch.
Officials said that these vehicles would be allowed to proceed only after Srinagar-bound supply trucks cross the Udhampur-Chenani sector.
The repeated closures of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway due to landslides, sinking road stretches, and repair works have been causing hardships for commuters, traders, and transporters alike.
