Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, July 31

The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained closed to traffic on Friday as authorities carried out urgent repairs and slope-stabilisation work at landslide-prone stretches damaged by heavy monsoon rains, officials said.

The closure covered the section between Jakheni in Udhampur district and Gangroo near Banihal in Ramban district.

Heavy machinery was deployed at Dewal-Samroli in Udhampur and Gangroo near Ramsu in Ramban to clear debris and repair damaged sections, the National Highways Authority of India said.

The scheduled Amarnath Yatra convoy was allowed to pass through the highway on Friday morning before repair work resumed. Operations at Dewal-Samroli were briefly interrupted by fresh rain, officials said.

Traffic restrictions had been imposed from Thursday evening, with vehicles stopped at Nagrota in Jammu and Qazigund in south Kashmir.

The highway has faced repeated disruptions in recent weeks because of landslides, mudslides and falling rocks following persistent rainfall, particularly along the Dewal-Samroli and Gangroo stretches.

Traffic police said the road would remain closed until restoration work was completed and advised commuters not to travel until the highway was declared safe.

“Restoration work is still in progress … The highway remains closed for all types of traffic,” the Traffic Police said in an evening advisory.

Authorities urged commuters to rely on official traffic updates rather than rumours about the highway reopening.

Senior traffic police officer Raja Adil Hamid said the closure was necessary for public safety because several damaged stretches required immediate repairs and stabilisation.

NHAI Project Director Shubham Yadav said the scheduled restoration work at Dewal in Udhampur was expected to be completed late on Friday.

Officials said the highway could reopen on Saturday if weather conditions remained favourable and repairs were completed.