JAMMU: Restoration work on a 250-meter stretch of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, blocked for over a week, has entered its final phase, officials said on Monday. The project aims to reopen the only all-weather road connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country.
The highway has been closed since August 26 due to multiple blockages caused by torrential rains, flash floods, and landslides. It had briefly reopened for a few hours on August 30, but overall, the route has remained inaccessible for 13 days.
“Work on the washed-out section of the highway in Udhampur has reached its final stage to make it trafficable. The Thard stretch has been particularly challenging, requiring a complete rebuild,” said a National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) official.
Authorities expect the highway to reopen by Monday night as repair work progresses rapidly. Crews have successfully blasted and removed six large boulders, with three additional rocks excavated to aid further clearance, officials added.
“This has been a significant challenge, but the road is gradually clearing. We expect the highway to reopen for traffic soon,” officials said.
However, intermittent rainfall on Sunday slowed restoration efforts on the landslide-hit Thard stretch. While debris, mudslides, and landslides in Ramban and Udhampur have largely been cleared, the Thard area remains blocked under a hill where parts of the highway were washed away.
The 270-kilometre highway has remained closed for the seventh consecutive day due to ongoing clearance operations. Meanwhile, traffic on the Mughal Road, which connects Poonch in Jammu with Shopian in Kashmir, is moving smoothly.
A traffic advisory stated: “The highway remains closed for vehicles from Jakheni (Udhampur) to Srinagar and vice versa due to blockages between Jakheni and Bali Nallah. No vehicular movement is allowed from Nagrota (Jammu) toward Reasi, Chenani, Patnitop, Doda, Ramban, Banihal, Srinagar, and back.”
Commuters traveling to Katra and Udhampur are advised to carry photo ID for smoother verification.
The highway closure, along with other inter-regional road disruptions, has stranded over 4,000 vehicles across Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Udhampur, Ramban, the Kashmir Valley, and Punjab. Many inter-district roads, including the Katra-Reasi route, remain blocked.
The army and local residents have been providing food and rations daily to stranded travellers, mostly truck drivers.
Meanwhile, the pilgrimage to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta Hills remains suspended for the 14th consecutive day.
