Ramban, Jul 28: Free flow of traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained disrupted on Tuesday due to a fresh spell of monsoon rain, slush, and an uneven road surface at the landslide-affected Dewal area between Chenani and Udhampur.
Traffic authorities said the highway remained partially open only for stranded vehicles, with traffic being regulated through the affected stretch.
Hundreds of Light Motor Vehicles (LMV) and heavy vehicles were allowed to cross the vulnerable section in a controlled manner as restoration work continued.
The disruption follows a massive landslide that struck the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway near Dewal Bridge on Monday morning, blocking the carriageway for several hours and leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded on both sides of the highway.
Although traffic was partially restored on Monday afternoon, road clearance and stabilisation work are still underway.
According to official sources, another major landslide, triggered by heavy rainfall, occurred at Ladha near Samroli in the Udhampur-Chenani section at around 11:00 pm on July 26, completely blocking the operational two-lane highway.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) immediately mobilised men and machinery and cleared the debris by around 3 am, restoring single-lane traffic.
Officials said single-lane movement continued initially due to the heavy volume of stranded vehicles.
On the morning of July 27, the AmarnathYatra convoy was safely escorted through the affected stretch while restoration work to restore full-width carriageway continued simultaneously.
Within six hours, two-lane traffic movement was restored.
However, owing to the heavy volume of traffic and the uneven road surface at Dewal, vehicle operators continued to face difficulties while negotiating the affected stretch.
Officials said intermittent monsoon rainfall has kept the road surface wet and vulnerable, necessitating continuous maintenance.
NHAI personnel are regularly filling damaged patches with stones and boulders to facilitate safer passage and ensure smooth traffic movement.
In view of the Meteorological Department’s forecast of continued rainfall over the next few days, authorities have urged the public to undertake journeys on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway only after confirming the latest road status from the Traffic Control Units (TCUs) at Jammu, Ramban, and Srinagar.
Commuters have also been advised to follow updates issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Traffic Police through its official X handle, Facebook page, and Traffic Control Units, and to avoid travelling on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway until the road is declared fully safe for unrestricted traffic.
Authorities also appealed to the public not to pay heed to rumours and to rely only on verified official information.
