Jammu-Srinagar highway closed due to fresh snowfall, landslides

JAMMU:A Traffic Department official on Thursday said that Jammu-Srinagar highway has been closed for traffic on Thursday due to fresh snowfall and landslides.

The official told IANS that roads in Bannihal sector turned slippery after fresh snowfall. He added that some landslides also happened in the Ramban stretch.

"Priority will be to ensure that no vehicle gets stranded and all vehicles parked or abandoned at various places on the highway are cleared," IANS quoted the official as saying.

The officials decided to halt traffic on Jammu-Srinagar highway after an advisory of rain and snowfall in the state was issued by the Met department on Wednesday. Taking into account the weather and road condition, the Traffic Department decided to suspend vehicular traffic on Thursday.

Jaamu-Srinagar is the lifeline of essential supplies for Kashmir Valley. It may be recalled that the 300km-long strategic highway was closed for over 10 days in January due to landslides and snowfall.

The Met has predicted that weather would improve from Friday onwards.

(with agency inputs)