Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) will ply from Srinagar to Leh on Wednesday after clearing all Kashmir bound vehicles, which were stranded during the night following slippery road condition due to below freezing temperature at Zojila pass.
The historic 86-km-long Mughal road remained closed since November 6 though massive snow clearance operation has already been started by the authorities.
Only one-way traffic will continue to ply till further orders on the national highway, which connects Kashmir valley with the rest of the country to avoid traffic jam and accidents.
The 86-km-long historic Mughal road remained closed for the 15th day on Wednesday due to accumulation of snow following snowfall last week. The road which is seen as alternative to Srinagar-Jammu national highway connects Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch.
A traffic police official said this morning that after clearing avalanches and snow by the Beacon personnel, traffic was restored on Srinagar-Leh national highway after remaining suspended for six days due to heavy snowfall.
“We allowed vehicles to move from Ladakh to Kashmir in the afternoon on Tuesday,” he said, adding traffic was again suspended due to slippery road conditions at Zojila. He said stranded vehicles will be allowed to move towards Kashmir once frozen road de-freezes.
However, only LMVs will be allowed from Kashmir to Ladakh on Wednesday.
In the past, the highway was closed for winter months from November 1 every year. However, for the past over five years, the road remains open till there is heavy snowfall and road surface gets slippery due to minus temperature. The centre has already approved construction of a tunnel at Zojila pass to make it all weather road.
He said only one-way traffic will continue to ply on Srinagar-Jammu national highway on Wednesday. “Today traffic, including trucks loaded with fruits and vehicles carrying passengers, will ply from Srinagar to Jammu,” he said, adding no vehicle will be allowed from opposite direction.