Jammu-Srinagar highway landslide strands vehicles, Amarnath convoy allowed to pass
A fresh landslide on the Jammu-Srinagar highway stranded vehicles, while Pul Doda bridge was closed for inspection. One-way traffic later resumed for the Amarnath Yatra convoy, but authorities kept movement regulated pending safety clearance.
A fresh landslide on the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway disrupted traffic on Monday, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded, while the main bridge in Doda district was temporarily closed for a safety inspection after suspected cracks were reported, officials said.
Authorities later allowed a fresh batch of 3,823 Amarnath pilgrims, travelling in a 140-vehicle convoy to the Baltal base camp under tight security, to cross the affected stretch after one-way traffic was restored. Officials said normal traffic would resume once the second tube becomes operational within the next few hours.
A massive landslide hit the strategic highway at Dewal in Udhampur district early Monday, forcing authorities to suspend traffic from both directions, a traffic department official said. The closure left around 1,700 trucks and numerous passenger vehicles stranded between Udhampur and Banihal, and these were being cleared through the single carriageway while repairs to the uneven road surface were under way. "Priority is being given to passenger vehicles," the official said, adding that no fresh vehicles from Jammu towards Srinagar, Doda, Ramban and Patnitop, or in the reverse direction, would be allowed until restoration work is completed.
The official said the National Highway Authority of India had deployed men and machinery to clear the debris and restore traffic at the earliest. "Commuters are advised to avoid travelling on the highway until it is declared safe and reopened for traffic, as there is a risk of further landslides and shooting stones. People are also urged not to pay heed to rumours and to rely only on updates issued through the Traffic Police's official social media handles for the latest road status," the spokesman said.
Traffic on the highway had resumed on Sunday after remaining suspended for three days because of multiple landslides and shooting stones triggered by heavy rain. However, after the Amarnath Yatra convoy passed, vehicular movement was again suspended for almost the entire day to allow landslide clearance in the Gangroo area along the Ramban–Banihal stretch.
In Doda, authorities closed the Pul Doda bridge late Sunday night after visible markings raised safety concerns. Executive Engineer, Public Works Department, Anil Mehra said an inspection by engineers found that the markings were not structural cracks and were likely caused by concrete overlap at shuttering joints during construction. "There were speculations that cracks had developed on the bridge (following recent heavy rainfall). As a precautionary measure and from a safety point of view, we closed it to vehicular traffic during the night. After a detailed inspection this (Monday) morning, our initial assessment indicates that these are not structural cracks," he said.
Mehra further said an expert team from Design Inspection and Quality Control had also been called to independently assess the bridge and carry out quality checks. "Once the bridge is certified as safe, it will be reopened for vehicular traffic. At present, traffic has been diverted along the alternate Ganpat bridge. If the expert team identifies any defect, it will be rectified immediately before the bridge is reopened," he said.
With traffic hit by the fresh landslide and the Pul Doda bridge under inspection, authorities said restoration and safety checks were being carried out, while movement on affected routes remained regulated until they were declared safe.
A fresh landslide on the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway disrupted traffic on Monday, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded, while the main bridge in Doda district was temporarily closed for a safety inspection after suspected cracks were reported, officials said.
Authorities later allowed a fresh batch of 3,823 Amarnath pilgrims, travelling in a 140-vehicle convoy to the Baltal base camp under tight security, to cross the affected stretch after one-way traffic was restored. Officials said normal traffic would resume once the second tube becomes operational within the next few hours.
A massive landslide hit the strategic highway at Dewal in Udhampur district early Monday, forcing authorities to suspend traffic from both directions, a traffic department official said. The closure left around 1,700 trucks and numerous passenger vehicles stranded between Udhampur and Banihal, and these were being cleared through the single carriageway while repairs to the uneven road surface were under way. "Priority is being given to passenger vehicles," the official said, adding that no fresh vehicles from Jammu towards Srinagar, Doda, Ramban and Patnitop, or in the reverse direction, would be allowed until restoration work is completed.
The official said the National Highway Authority of India had deployed men and machinery to clear the debris and restore traffic at the earliest. "Commuters are advised to avoid travelling on the highway until it is declared safe and reopened for traffic, as there is a risk of further landslides and shooting stones. People are also urged not to pay heed to rumours and to rely only on updates issued through the Traffic Police's official social media handles for the latest road status," the spokesman said.
Traffic on the highway had resumed on Sunday after remaining suspended for three days because of multiple landslides and shooting stones triggered by heavy rain. However, after the Amarnath Yatra convoy passed, vehicular movement was again suspended for almost the entire day to allow landslide clearance in the Gangroo area along the Ramban–Banihal stretch.
In Doda, authorities closed the Pul Doda bridge late Sunday night after visible markings raised safety concerns. Executive Engineer, Public Works Department, Anil Mehra said an inspection by engineers found that the markings were not structural cracks and were likely caused by concrete overlap at shuttering joints during construction. "There were speculations that cracks had developed on the bridge (following recent heavy rainfall). As a precautionary measure and from a safety point of view, we closed it to vehicular traffic during the night. After a detailed inspection this (Monday) morning, our initial assessment indicates that these are not structural cracks," he said.
Mehra further said an expert team from Design Inspection and Quality Control had also been called to independently assess the bridge and carry out quality checks. "Once the bridge is certified as safe, it will be reopened for vehicular traffic. At present, traffic has been diverted along the alternate Ganpat bridge. If the expert team identifies any defect, it will be rectified immediately before the bridge is reopened," he said.
With traffic hit by the fresh landslide and the Pul Doda bridge under inspection, authorities said restoration and safety checks were being carried out, while movement on affected routes remained regulated until they were declared safe.
A fresh landslide on the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway disrupted traffic on Monday, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded, while the main bridge in Doda district was temporarily closed for a safety inspection after suspected cracks were reported, officials said.
Authorities later allowed a fresh batch of 3,823 Amarnath pilgrims, travelling in a 140-vehicle convoy to the Baltal base camp under tight security, to cross the affected stretch after one-way traffic was restored. Officials said normal traffic would resume once the second tube becomes operational within the next few hours.
A massive landslide hit the strategic highway at Dewal in Udhampur district early Monday, forcing authorities to suspend traffic from both directions, a traffic department official said. The closure left around 1,700 trucks and numerous passenger vehicles stranded between Udhampur and Banihal, and these were being cleared through the single carriageway while repairs to the uneven road surface were under way. "Priority is being given to passenger vehicles," the official said, adding that no fresh vehicles from Jammu towards Srinagar, Doda, Ramban and Patnitop, or in the reverse direction, would be allowed until restoration work is completed.
The official said the National Highway Authority of India had deployed men and machinery to clear the debris and restore traffic at the earliest. "Commuters are advised to avoid travelling on the highway until it is declared safe and reopened for traffic, as there is a risk of further landslides and shooting stones. People are also urged not to pay heed to rumours and to rely only on updates issued through the Traffic Police's official social media handles for the latest road status," the spokesman said.
Traffic on the highway had resumed on Sunday after remaining suspended for three days because of multiple landslides and shooting stones triggered by heavy rain. However, after the Amarnath Yatra convoy passed, vehicular movement was again suspended for almost the entire day to allow landslide clearance in the Gangroo area along the Ramban–Banihal stretch.
In Doda, authorities closed the Pul Doda bridge late Sunday night after visible markings raised safety concerns. Executive Engineer, Public Works Department, Anil Mehra said an inspection by engineers found that the markings were not structural cracks and were likely caused by concrete overlap at shuttering joints during construction. "There were speculations that cracks had developed on the bridge (following recent heavy rainfall). As a precautionary measure and from a safety point of view, we closed it to vehicular traffic during the night. After a detailed inspection this (Monday) morning, our initial assessment indicates that these are not structural cracks," he said.
Mehra further said an expert team from Design Inspection and Quality Control had also been called to independently assess the bridge and carry out quality checks. "Once the bridge is certified as safe, it will be reopened for vehicular traffic. At present, traffic has been diverted along the alternate Ganpat bridge. If the expert team identifies any defect, it will be rectified immediately before the bridge is reopened," he said.
With traffic hit by the fresh landslide and the Pul Doda bridge under inspection, authorities said restoration and safety checks were being carried out, while movement on affected routes remained regulated until they were declared safe.
