The 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh National Highway will be put through on April 15, as five feet to 40 feet accumulated snow has been cleared, a senior BEACON official said.
We have removed all the snow from the highway, BEACON Chief Engineer A K Botaney told UNI this afternoon.
However, he said it will take about two weeks more to make the highway, linking Drass, second coldest place in the world, Kargil and Leh with the rest of the country, safe for traffic.
He said there are reports of shooting of stones and threat of snow avalanches in some identified areas. We are taking care of the threat, he said adding the traffic will be allowed only once there is zero per cent danger.
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We have to remove six feet to 40 feet of snow which had accumulated on the road by pressing into service more than 20 snow cutters and other sophsticated machine from both sides of the Zojila, the Chief Engineer said giving to his men for early reopening of the highway.
He said, at captain morh and adjacent areas there was more than 40 feet of snow on the road.
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The 80-km-long Srinagar-Sonmarg stretch was declared open last week after the BEACON and civil authorities put a joint effort.