By IANS,
Srinagar : The strategic Srinagar-Jammu highway was closed for vehicular traffic Friday morning following fresh snowfall in the Jawahar Tunnel area of the road.
T.P.S. Rawat, chief engineer of project Beacon, which maintains the over 300-km long highway, told IANS: “Fresh snowfall has started in the Banihal sector of the Srinagar-Jammu highway and we have closed the road to ensure the safety of passengers.”
“I am moving out to take stock of the situation. People intending to travel on the highway are requested to contact the traffic authorities or view the latest status of the road at our digital travel advisory.”
The Srinagar-Jammu highway is the only road link of the valley with the rest of the country. All essential supplies are routed to the valley along this road.
The road often gets blocked during the winter months due to heavy snowfall or landslides. The Beacon authorities move out road clearance machinery immediately to reopen the crucial highway.
“Road clearance will be undertaken after the snowfall stops,” an official of the organisation said here.