An aerial view of a road washed away in the floods in Kashmir Valley (PTI)
In a boost to relief efforts in the flood-ravaged Kashmir Valley, the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway today reopened for traffic after remaining closed for 13 days due to landslides triggered by incessant rains.
Engineers of the Border Roads Organisation and Army restored the vital road link.
"After sustained effort by the Border Road Organisation and Army Engineers, the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway has been opened today," a defence ministry spokesman said.
He said multiple landslides were cleared with simultaneous deployment of engineers and specialist equipment -- coordinated by the Chief Engineer of Northern Command Headquarters of the Army based at Udhampur -- to restore this vital road.
"The Highway was reopened for vehicular traffic after remaining closed due to landslides and washing off of a portion of Highway in Ramban district," a police officer said.
"The Highway was reopened for only Light Motor Vehicles", he said.
Over 3,000 to 4,000 vehicles, particularly trucks carrying supplies, had been stranded on the Highway.
Earlier, the Military Engineers had restored the land link to flood-hit Kashmir Valley from Ladakh side on September 9 and cleared the Sinthan Pass route via Kishtwar on September 13.