Srinagar, Apr 11: The 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway, the only road connecting Union Territory of Ladakh region with Kashmir reopened on Saturday after remaining closed for the past about five months due to accumulation of snow and slippery road conditions.
However, only vehicles carrying essentials, including petrol, diesel and LPG cylinders, were allowed to ply on the highway, officials said.
They said the highway was closed in December last year due to heavy snowfall.
The strategically important road could not be reopened as there was more snowfall in winter, when the temperature dipped to minus 15 to 20 degree resulting in slippery road conditions.
The Beacon project, responsible for the maintenance of the highway put into service sophisticated machines and men in February this year to put through the road. However, frequent snowfall coupled with threat of avalanches, snow clearance operation was hampered.
The snow clearance operation was finally cleared last week, they said adding later repair and road widening work was undertaken to make travel easy. Vehicles still have to move through a huge wall of snow on both sides, particularly in Zojila pass area.
However, due to lockdown, no passenger vehcile was allowed to move on the highway, they said.
A large number of trucks, loaded with essentials, besides oil and LPG tankers were allowed to move from Sonamarg towards Ladakh region today. The highway, the only road linking UT Ladakh with Kashmir, remained closed during winter months due to heavy snowfall, particularly in Zojila pass area.
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