Jammu-Srinagar national highway to remain shut for repair work on June 23

No traffic will be allowed on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway on Friday due to repair and maintenance works, an official said on Wednesday.

The advisory to observe 'no traffic day' on the NH-44, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, was issued by Ramban Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mussarat Islam, amid ongoing preparations for the annual Amarnath yatra in the valley beginning July 1, the officials said.

The first batch of pilgrims will leave for Kashmir from Jammu base camp Bhagwati Nagar on June 30, a day ahead of the scheduled commencement of the yatra to the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine, housing the naturally formed ice-shivling.

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"June 23 is a 'no traffic day' on National Highway-44. No traffic will be allowed between Nashri and Banihal tunnels to ensure urgent repair and maintenance works by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI)," the office of the deputy commissioner tweeted.

Commuters on the highway have been complaining of enduring snarls in the sweltering heat due to massive traffic jams at different places, especially landslide-prone Dalwas, Cafeteria Morh and Nachlana over the past fortnight.

The officials said overloaded or misfit heavy motor vehicles are also not allowed to ply on the highway as the breakdown of such vehicles causes traffic snarls, bringing inconvenience to others.

Traffic police were directed to initiate action against the violators, they added.

Updating on the ongoing construction work, the deputy commissioner said concreting over the leftover portion of the 1.06 km Ramban flyover is almost done.

The flyover, once operational, will bypass the Ramban market which also witnesses frequent traffic jams, he added.