Pul Doda bridge closed for safety inspection
Jammu Tawi, July 27: A fresh landslide and shooting stones disrupted traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on Monday, leaving around 1,700 trucks and numerous passenger vehicles stranded between Udhampur and Banihal, while the Pul Doda bridge was temporarily closed for vehicular movement after markings resembling cracks raised safety concerns.
The landslide struck the strategic 250-km highway at Dewal in Udhampur district early Monday, forcing authorities to suspend fresh traffic from both directions. However, stranded vehicles, particularly passenger vehicles, were being cleared on priority through the available single carriageway as the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) deployed men and machinery to remove debris and restore the damaged stretch.
Officials said no fresh traffic from Jammu towards Srinagar, Doda, Ramban and Patnitop, or from Qazigund towards Jammu, would be allowed until restoration work was completed and the highway was declared safe for vehicular movement. Full restoration is expected by Tuesday, subject to favourable weather conditions.
Meanwhile, a convoy of 3,823 Amarnath pilgrims travelling in 140 vehicles to the Baltal base camp under tight security was allowed to cross the affected stretch after one-way traffic was restored temporarily.
Traffic on the highway had resumed on Sunday after remaining suspended for three days due to multiple landslides and shooting stones triggered by heavy rainfall. However, vehicular movement was again restricted after the passage of the Amarnath Yatra convoy to facilitate restoration work at vulnerable stretches, including Gangroo along the Ramban-Banihal section.
Authorities have advised commuters to avoid travelling on the highway until it is declared safe, warning of the possibility of further landslides and shooting stones. They have also urged the public to rely only on official updates issued by the Traffic Police and not pay heed to rumours.
In another development, the Pul Doda bridge was closed late Sunday night after reports of visible cracks raised safety concerns following recent heavy rainfall. Executive Engineer, Public Works Department, Anil Mehra, said a preliminary inspection by engineers indicated that the markings were not structural cracks but were likely caused by concrete overlap at shuttering joints during construction.
The bridge was closed as a precautionary measure, while an expert team from the Design Inspection and Quality Control wing was called in to conduct an independent assessment and quality checks. Traffic has been diverted through the alternate Ganpat bridge.
Mehra said the Pul Doda bridge would be reopened only after it was certified safe. Any structural or construction-related defect identified during the inspection would be rectified before reopening the bridge.
