JAMMU, October 21: Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway will experience a suspension on Sunday due to repair work in Ramban district, as per officials. Travelers have expressed concerns about delays along various stretches, particularly those affected by recent rains.
As per an advisory from the traffic police department, no vehicles will be allowed to travel on the crucial highway between Nashri and Banihal tunnels after 6 pm on Saturday. This suspension will continue until midnight on Sunday. The traffic halt is deemed necessary to facilitate repair and restoration efforts at Dalwas, where the road had been reduced to a single lane due to landslides caused by heavy rains on October 16.
Over the past week, many travelers on the highway have reported significant traffic snarls, particularly along the critical 66-km stretch from Nashri tunnel to Banihal tunnel. A traffic department official explained that the slow traffic movement was due to the breakdown of 16 heavy motor vehicles, the presence of eight nomadic herds, and the single-lane traffic situation at Dalwas and Cafeteria-Mehad between Nashri and Banihal tunnels on Friday.
The official stated, “In view of the poor road surface condition and the sinking of the road, the Government has directed the NHAI to undertake repair and restoration work, which will be conducted on Sunday.”
Despite the completion of many tunnels and viaducts under the ongoing four-laning project on the highway, landslides triggered by rain have forced single-lane traffic at Mehar, Cafeteria, and Dalwas, resulting in substantial inconvenience for commuters.
A student, Farooq Ahmad Shah, shared his experience, stating that it took nearly 24 hours to travel from Srinagar to Jammu on Friday. He mentioned massive traffic jams due to unregulated truck movement in Banihal, slow traffic in Ramsu and Chanderkote, single-lane traffic in certain areas, and the presence of nomadic herds as contributing factors to the traffic congestion.
Some travelers had purchased bus and train tickets for their onward journeys, but their plans were disrupted due to their late arrival in Jammu.
The four-laning project for the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar highway, the sole all-weather road connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country, commenced in 2011 under the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). The project involves multiple tunnels, bridges, flyovers, and is expected to be completed next year after several missed deadlines.
