The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway faced a traffic disruption today as a result of a landslide occurring in the Gangroo area of the Ramban district in Jammu division.
Officials have stated that this follows a period of traffic disruption lasting several hours, which was necessary to address the presence of cracks discovered in the middle of the road near Banihal.
The 270-km highway, which serves as the sole all-weather road connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country, experienced a halt in vehicular movement from both directions at approximately 11 o’clock. Cracks emerged in the middle of the road at Hingni in Ramban district. The traffic on the highway was finally restored after more than five hours of restoration work.
The arterial road has been experiencing frequent interruptions in the last five days due to intense rainfall, which has caused landslides, mudslides, and shooting stones from the hills at various locations such as Mehad, Gangroo, Kishtwari Pather, and Dalwas between Nashri and Banihal Tunnels. This particular stretch of the highway has been identified as the most problematic area.
NHAI successfully maintained the accessibility of the highway by promptly clearing the debris caused by landslides.
The construction of the four-lane highway began in 2011 and has been ongoing, encompassing various tunnels, bridges, and flyovers. Despite missing multiple deadlines in the past decade, the project is expected to be finished by the upcoming year.
