SRINAGAR: Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) was suspended from both ends on Monday evening after heavy rainfall triggered a landslide near Dawal Bridge in Udhampur district, rendering the road unsafe for vehicular movement.
According to the Traffic Police, the Dawal slide in the Samroli area reduced the highway to a single carriageway, while the road surface turned highly slushy, muddy and extremely slippery, forcing authorities to halt traffic as a precaution.
Officials said personnel from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), assisted by heavy machinery and the Traffic Police, have been deployed at the site to clear the debris and restore the road.
The Traffic Police advised commuters not to undertake any journey on NH-44 until the highway is cleared and declared safe for traffic movement. Motorists were also urged not to pay heed to rumours and to rely only on official updates issued through the Traffic Police’s social media handles and Traffic Control Units (TCUs).
For traffic-related information, commuters can contact the Traffic Control Units at Jammu, Srinagar and Ramban. Authorities said the highway will be reopened only after road conditions improve and it is declared safe for vehicular movement.
