Recently Inaugurated Flyover Along Srinagar Jammu National Highway Develops Crack

The recently inaugurated flyover near Banihal-Qazigund tunnel along the 270 kilometer Srinagar Jammu National highway developed a crack prompting authorities to divert the traffic on the highway.

The highway is of utmost significance as it is the only road link connecting Kashmir with rest of the country.

The officials have termed the damage as “minor” one.

Traffic movement on the highway was going on smoothly, they said.

The officials said workers noticed the crack on the stretch between the toll plaza in Banihal and the tunnel early Monday, following which traffic coming from Kashmir towards Jammu was immediately diverted.

"A small patch of the flyover has developed a minor crack which is being taken care of to ensure early restoration of traffic movement," an official of the Navyug construction company said.

He said it is a minor issue as all the pillars of the flyover are safe.

The 8.5-km-long Banihal-Qazigund tunnel, built at a cost of Rs 2,100 crore, was opened for traffic early this month.

Work on the tunnel, which is part of an ongoing four-lane highway project, was started in June 2011 by the Navyug engineering company, and its operationalisation reduced travel time between Jammu and Srinagar by about 1.5 hours. (With PTI inputs)