JAMMU/SRINAGAR — February 09, 2026The Traffic Police Headquarters for Jammu and Kashmir has issued a comprehensive travel advisory for February 10, 2026, following significant road sinking and slow vehicle movement on the National Highway (NH-44).
Over the last 24 hours, traffic flow was severely hampered by a 20–30 meter single-lane stretch at Kishtwari Pather and the breakdown of three Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) between Marog and Kishtwari Pather. Consequently, authorities have announced that HMVs will only be permitted to ply on an alternate-day basis to manage the bottleneck.
Passenger Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and private cars will be allowed to travel from both Jammu and Srinagar, subject to fair weather, while HMVs are scheduled to move from Jakheni (Udhampur) toward Srinagar, provided they clear the check post before the 14:00 hrs cutoff.
Commuters are strongly advised to prioritize daytime travel and avoid the highway at night due to the high risk of shooting stones, landslides, and ongoing construction work between Ramban and Banihal. Furthermore, recent snow accumulation has led to dangerous frost formation between Nachlana and the Navyug Tunnel, creating slippery road conditions that require extreme caution.
Operators of goods carriers transporting perishable items or livestock are urged to adhere strictly to loading advisories, as the narrow carriage way at Kishtwari Pather cannot accommodate oversized or overloaded vehicles.
Regarding other major routes, the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumari (SSG) road will allow limited LMV movement from Kargil toward Srinagar, provided vehicles are equipped with anti-skid chains. Due to avalanche threats along the Zoji La axis, vehicles will only be released from Minamarg after receiving a “green signal” from maintenance agencies, with a strict cutoff time of 15:00 hrs.
Meanwhile, both the Mughal Road and the Kishtwar-Sinthan-Anantnag (NH-244) highway remain closed to all vehicular traffic due to heavy snow accumulation. Travelers are urged to verify the current road status through official Traffic Control Unit (TCU) helplines in Jammu, Srinagar, Ramban, or Udhampur before beginning their journey.
