Vehicles move slowly on Srinagar-Gulmarg Road near Tangmarg during heavy snowfall on Thursday, December 11, 2015. (Press Trust of India photo)
Fresh snowfall and intermittent rains in Jammu and Kashmir today led to closure of strategic Jammu-Srinagar national highway.
Heavy rains and snowfall in upper reaches of the state triggered landslides and shooting stones at many places along the national highway today.
"Shooting stones blocked the road at Kheri Udhampur and heavy motor vehicles have been stopped at Sangoor, Battal, Ballian areas of Udhampur in Jammu province along the highway and have been asked not to move forward," a senior traffic department official told IANS in Jammu.
He said continuous snowfall near the Jawahar tunnel at Banihal disrupted traffic along the national highway, which was blocked by accumulated snow.
"To avoid traffic congestion at Banihal, light motor vehicles are being stopped at Shaan Palace Ramban and heavy vehicles are being stopped at Chanderkot of Ramban district," the official said.
At Nagrota toll post, 10 km from Jammu, all vehicles except those going to Udhampur town are stopped and not allowed to move ahead.
On Kashmir Valley side also, all Jammu bound vehicles have been halted, the official added.
The 300-km long Jammu-Srinagar national highway is the only surface link of the Kashmir Valley with outside world and all essential commodities of life are routed through this road.