Srinagar-Leh national highway to close from Oct 31
22 Oct 2008, 1252 hrs IST, PTI
SRINAGAR: The vital Srinagar-Leh national highway is being closed for traffic from October 31 for winter months, official sources said on Wednesday.
Due to erratic weather conditions, early snowfall, extreme cold temperature and likely icing on the road surface especially on 11,578 feet high Zojila Pass, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has decided to close the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri for all vehicular traffic from October 31, the sources said.
They said all resources deployed at various locations on Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road will be withdrawn accordingly on the instructions from headquarters of Srinagar-based 15 Corps.
The highway, the only road link between Kashmir Valley and Ladakh region remains closed for six months during winter as 11,578 feet Zojila attracts heaviest snowfall blocking the road.
A spokesman of the BRO, which maintains the road, said after the closure of the road it will not be possible for the organisation to provide any assistance to the trapped passengers as well as vehicles.
We request public, tourist as well as transporters not to ply their vehicles beyond Gagangir on Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road after October 31 as it will not be possible for BRO to evacuate any person or vehicle trapped on the road, the spokesman said.
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