Saturday 20th Jun, 2026
Kashmir highway remains closed for 5th day
Srinagar, Jan 25 (UNI) The 300-km-long Srinagar- Jammu national highway, the only all weather road linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, remained closed for the fifth consecutive day on Friday due to fresh snowfall and landslides during the past 24 hours.
Dozens of vehicles carrying passengers besides over 2000 Kashmir bound trucks and oil tankers remained stranded at Udhampur since January 21.
Meanwhile, the national highway, connecting Ladakh region with Kashmir and historic 86-km-long Mughal road remained closed due to accumulation of several feet of snow which has now frozen due to below freezing point temperature.
There was fresh snowfall since early this morning on both sides of the Jawahar tunnel due to which road has again become slippery, a traffic police official told UNI.
There were also fresh landslides and shooting stone, triggered by rains, between Ramban and Ramsu, he said adding the stretch between Ramban and Banihal was badly affected.
He said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), responsible for the maintenance of the highway are making all out efforts to restore traffic.
He said huge snow avalanche which caused damage to one door of Jawahar tunnel has been removed.
He said there no Kashmir bound vehicle is stranded between tunnel to Qazigund. However, there are Kashmir bound vehicles stranded on other side of the Penthal, the most trouble spot on the highway.
We will allow Kashmir bound stranded vehicles as and when the road is put through, he said adding no fresh traffic will be allowed from Jammu or Srinagar till further orders.
Meanwhile, large number of trucks loaded with fruit and empty oil tankers have been stopped at Qazigund for the past four days.
Meanwhile, the 434-km-national highway, the only road linking the Ladakh region with Kashmir, remained closed due to accumulation of snow which has now frozen for the past about two months. Fresh snowfall was also received at Sonamarg, Zojila pass, Zero point and Meenmarg on the highway during the past 24 hours, traffic spokesman said adding the road between Kargil, the border town on the highway, to Leh was through. The road is likely to reopen in March or April.
The historic 86-km-long Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region also received fresh snowfall during the past 24 hours. The road is closed for the past two months due to accumulation of snow and slippery road condition.
The Anantnag, in south Kashmir, to Kishtwar in Jammu road also remained closed due to accumulation of snow.