The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44), an artery of the Kashmir Valley, is facing a challenging restoration. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has said that complete restoration of the 250-km-long road would take several months as the highway was severely damaged by recent landslides and heavy rains. It would at least take six months to repair a crucial bridge at Tharad, Udhampur, officials added.
Severe Bridge Damage And Landslide Hazard
The most daunting challenges on the highway are a critical bridge at Tharad and a unstable 150-meter-long hill in the same location. Shifting hill has already closed three of the four highway lanes, according to Shubham Yadav, the NHAI Ramban project director. Partial, single-lane connectivity has been revived while the full reconstruction of the broken bridge at this location is expected to take at least six months. Work is also being done at Balli Nullah, where the road has sunk, with crews piling the site with boulders to establish two-lane traffic as soon as the weather allows.
CM Inspects Damage; Highway Remains Closed
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah recently inspected the affected regions to evaluate the extent of the damage. Even though he was informed by officials that it may take 20-25 days for a complete restoration, the NHAI’s estimate for the Tharad bridge is much higher. Meanwhile, the highway has been closed to traffic again as a precautionary measure due to a fresh spell of heavy rains and a forecast of more showers from the meteorological department. Authorities have warned of potential cloudbursts and landslides, advising people to avoid water bodies and landslide-prone areas.
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