Srinagar: The Mughal Road remained closed for the seventh consecutive day on Sunday as severe frost and slippery conditions continued to delay restoration work, while the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained open for two-way movement of light motor vehicles and heavy vehicles.
Officials said the Mughal Road has been lying closed since fresh snowfall accumulated over the stretch nearly a week ago. Although authorities had earlier expected partial restoration on Saturday, fresh frost aggravated the already slippery surface, making vehicular movement unsafe.
They said the road has not been opened so far, and teams of the Border Roads Organisation have sprinkled additional salt on the surface to reduce slipperiness. A fresh inspection of the road stretch is scheduled on Sunday late afternoon to take a final call on partial restoration.
Meanwhile, the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, the vital all weather road link connecting the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country, remained open for two-way traffic. Traffic authorities said that subject to fair weather and good road conditions, the highway would continue to remain open for both light and heavy vehicles.
However, officials said traffic movement is slow at several stretches, including Balli Nullah, Dewal, Nashri-Dalwas, Maroog and Kishtwari Pather between Udhampur and Banihal, mainly due to single lane road conditions. The breakdown of several heavy vehicles at different points further contributed to congestion and sluggish traffic flow.
In a fresh advisory, the Traffic Department urged operators of light motor vehicles and private car owners to plan their journeys during daylight hours. Night travel has been discouraged, particularly as the movement of heavy vehicles between the Nashri and Navyug tunnels during late hours could cause inconvenience to commuters. [KNT]
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