Srinagar- Jammu Highway Reopens For Hmvs After 16 Days

2025-09-11 07:05:09

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer)
KO photo by Abid Bhat

Srinagar- After nearly 16 days of closure, the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway finally reopened for heavy motor vehicles (HMVs) on the Kashmir side Thursday, bringing much-needed relief to truckers and fruit growers.

According to officials, by Thursday evening around 1,200 trucks had crossed Qazigund, with nearly 40 percent carrying apples. The highway had been blocked since August 26 due to landslides, flash floods, and severe road damage in Udhampur and Ramban.

For many truckers, who spent long nights stranded on the roadside, the reopening was a lifeline.“For 16 days, I slept inside my truck, eating whatever little food I could manage. My apples were rotting, and every day I thought of returning home empty-handed,” said Mohammad Yousuf, a driver from Baramulla, as his vehicle finally moved past the Qazigund tunnel.

The prolonged blockade had pushed several drivers into debt, with perishable fruit consignments stuck on the roads during Kashmir's peak apple season.

“I was worried about my family. The fruit boxes I carry belong to a grower in Pulwama. If they got damaged, I would have to bear the loss. Today, driving out felt like a weight lifted off my chest,” said Gull Mohammad Bhat, a driver from Pampore.

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