Ramban: After a lady was killed on Thursday while crossing the road near the Lamber Toll Plaza in Banihal, protesters in Ramban shut down the highway for three hours. The route connects Srinagar and Jammu.
According to Ramban’s traffic authorities, however, the stretch of highway between Nashri and Banihal—one of the most prone locations to landslides and gunfire—remains open, and hundreds of load carriers continue to pass through there on their route to Jammu and elsewhere in the nation.
They said that a vehicle accident near Lamber Banihal sparked a protest that kept the route closed for three hours.
Single-lane road segments between Nashri and Banihal in the Ramban area were cited as a major cause of the sluggish pace of traffic. They said that the highway was still accessible to all vehicles, including small passenger cars, medium-sized trucks, and large vehicles travelling in only one direction, towards Jammu.
Since the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway is currently being widened to four lanes in the Ramban district, heavy motor vehicles (HMVs) only travel between the Udhampur and Qazigund sectors on alternate days.
Meanwhile, the Traffic Department has issued an advisory for Friday, stating that, pending favourable weather and road conditions, Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) transporting Amarnath yatris and passengers will be allowed to move on either side, and heavy motor vehicles (HMVs) that have been stopped beyond Jakhani-Udhampur will be allowed to move towards Kashmir.
