SRINAGAR: The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) will remain completely closed to all traffic on Friday to facilitate large-scale slope stabilisation, debris removal and road widening works at vulnerable stretches between Udhampur and Banihal, authorities said.
The temporary closure was ordered by the district administrations of Udhampur and Ramban following requests from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which said continuous rainfall since July 18 had triggered repeated landslides, mudslides and rockfalls along the highway, particularly near Ladha, Samroli, Gangroo and Kishtwari Pathar.
According to separate orders issued by the two district magistrates under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the highway will remain shut on July 31 in the interest of public safety and to enable uninterrupted restoration of the strategic road.
Officials said that despite restoration efforts over the past several days, hill slopes at the affected locations remain unstable, with loose and overhanging rocks continuing to pose a threat to commuters as well as personnel engaged in restoration work.
While two-way traffic has been restored by widening the valley-side carriageway, permanent stabilisation of the hill-side and widening of the carriageway require deployment of heavy machinery, which cannot be carried out safely under live traffic conditions, the orders said.
Traffic will remain suspended on NH-44 tomorrow i.e. 31-07-2026@JmuKmrPolice@JKTransportDept@OfficeOfLGJandK@Divcomjammu@DivComKash@ZPHQJammu@igp_jammu@diprjk@ddnews_jammu@ddnewsSrinagar@ddnewsladakh pic.twitter.com/iDKARAvLqu
— J&K Traffic Police (@Traffic_hqrs) July 30, 2026
During the shutdown, NHAI will undertake widening of the hill-side carriageway near Ladha and Samroli in the Udhampur-Chenani section and remove loose overhanging debris near Gangroo and Kishtwari Pathar on the Ramban-Banihal stretch. The agency will also carry out slope stabilisation and other restoration measures to facilitate the safe reopening of the highway.
Vehicular movement will remain suspended between Jakheni in Udhampur district and the Navyug Tunnel near Banihal throughout Friday.
To ensure the highway is cleared before work begins, traffic restrictions will come into effect from 10 pm on Thursday. No vehicle will be allowed to proceed beyond Nagrota towards Srinagar, Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban and Patnitop, while vehicles travelling from the Kashmir Valley will not be permitted to move beyond Qazigund towards Ramban, Udhampur and Jammu after the stipulated time.
The district administrations have directed NHAI to deploy adequate manpower, machinery and equipment to complete the work within the scheduled period, maintain close coordination with the civil administration, police and traffic authorities, and install warning signs, barricades and other safety measures at vulnerable locations.
The orders also instructed police and traffic authorities to enforce diversions and traffic regulations strictly during the closure, while emergency response teams, ambulances and disaster management personnel have been asked to remain on standby throughout the operation.
Commuters have been advised to avoid travel on NH-44 on Friday and check the latest traffic advisories before undertaking their journey.
