Ganderbal, Dec 13: The 434 kilometer long Srinagar-Ladakh highway will remain open till December end.
Talking to Rising Kashmir, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kargil Santosh Sukhdeve said that no final decision has been taken to close the highway.
He said that if the weather remains pleasant, like last year, the administration will try to keep the highway open till January 5.
This year on account of low snowfall Border Roads Organization and Project Vijayak responsible for the maintaining the highway already kept Machinery and labourers on the both sides of Zojila pass, he said
He further said that authorities have stocked up essential commodities for winter months so that people living here don’t have to face any problem.
The Srinagar-Leh highway closed for winter months in every year in the month of December due to accumulation of snow and slippery road conditions, particularly between Sonamarg-Zojila and Meenmarg and due to which the region remains cut off around 4 months from J&K.
The highway is the only road linking the Ladakh region with the rest of Jammu and Kashmir.
Meanwhile, after remaining closed for four days the 434-Km long Srinagar Ladakh highway was restored for one-way traffic on Tuesday early morning.
An official told Rising Kashmir that following fresh Snowfall on Dec 10 and 11, the administration closed the 434-Km long Srinagar Ladakh highway for vehicles as a precautionary measures, resulting in hundreds of vehicles were Stranded on both sides including Drass, Meenamarg and Sonamarg.
In the meantime, Project Vijayak and Border Roads Organization (BRO) had started to remove snow on both sides of the highway on an emergency basis , said an official.
However, a traffic police source said that only stranded vehicles at Kargil, Drass and Meenmarg were allowed to move towards Srinagar.
Meanwhile Kargil Police in a traffic advisory said all type vehicle shall be allowed on Zojila axis from Manimarg toward Srinagar subject to fair weather and road clearance.
Last timing for LMV at PCP Shilikchey shall be 0800 hrs and Minimarg upto 1000 hrs followed by HMVs upto 1200hrs shall be released from Minamarg.
After cut-off timing no vehicle shall be allowed for Srinagar from both the destinations.
The highway was closed on Thursday last week following moderate to heavy snowfall at Sonamarg, Zojila and Drass, officials said.
