Ramban: The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, after having remained blocked throughout the day due to landslides at T2 near Maroog in Ramban, was partially restored for stranded traffic late Wednesday evening.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ramban Mussarat Islam late this evening announced that the highway was partially restored for stranded traffic at T2.
It was partially restored after a single lane road was prepared by the concerned agency at T2 near Maroog.
Earlier, the highway was blocked for every type of vehicular traffic movement, following a massive
landslide and intermittent tumbling of stones from a hillock near Tunnel T2 this morning.
Due to the blockade of the highway, the only all-weather surface link connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country, the scheduled Amarnath Yatra from Jammu to two yatra base camps in Kashmir was also temporarily suspended.
“A massive landslide hit and blocked the highway at T2 near Maroog early this morning. Soon after the blockade of the road, the concerned road maintenance agency was summoned for clearing the road,” traffic officials said.
They said that the road restoration was started immediately by the concerned agency National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) but the intermittent tumbling of stones and debris hampered the restoration work during the day.
However, a manager of NHAI, late Wednesday evening, said that a single-lane road was prepared at Tunnel T2 and traffic was resumed.
He said that the threat of landslides and shooting stones from hillocks at T2 was still looming large.
The steep mountain was excavated for converting the present two-lane highway into four lanes, a few years back.
Due to the road blockade, no fresh traffic was allowed beyond Police check posts in Jakhani-Udhampur and Qazigund in Kashmir.
Hundreds of vehicles remained stranded at Qazigund Toll Plaza, Banihal truck yard and other places.
Earlier, some private cars and passenger vehicles stuck on both sides of the landslide-hit area preferred to return to their respective destinations in Srinagar and Jammu.
Senior Superintendent of Traffic Police, National Highway (NHW) Ramban, Rohit Baskotra late Wednesday evening said, “The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was partially restored for stranded traffic. Stranded traffic between Ramban and Banihal is being cleared on priority.”