Hundreds of vehicles remained stranded for the second day on Friday following closure of the 270-km-long Srinagar-Jammu National Highway due to landslides and shooting stones.

The highway was closed on Thursday morning following landslides due to rainfall at several places, particularly between Ramban and Ramsu, official sources said.

However, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI),responsible for the widening and maintenance of the highway have put sophisticated machines and men to clear the landslides but continued shootingstones at Mahar and Digdol due to rain has hampered the clearance operation.

There was also fresh snowfall early this morning in thearea. Hundreds of vehicles were stranded on the highway, sources said addingonce a green signal was received, only stranded vehicles would be allowed onthe Highway, the only all weather road connecting Kashmir valley with the restthe country.

Decision to allow fresh traffic would be allowed once allstranded vehicles were cleared. They further said only one-way traffic wouldcontinue to ply on the highway till further orders as the road was badlydamaged and narrow at some places and there is also threat of landslides andshooting stones.

The sources stated that frequent closure of the highway hasbadly hit traffic movement leading to shortage of essentials in the valley.

Transportation of fruit from valley to other parts of thecountry was also affected, particularly during winter. Meanwhile, the historic86-km-long Mughal road, which connects Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouriand Poonch also remained closed due to accumulation of the eight to ten feet ofsnow.

Though the authorities have started snow clearanceoperation, there was fresh snowfall during the past few days on the road, whichwas seen as alternative to Srinagar-Jammu Highway.

The Centre has already agreed to construct a tunnel to makeit all weather road. The Anantnag-Kishtwar road also remained closed for thepast four months due to snow.