Mughal Road to reopen for traffic today

Shopian, Feb 26: Authorities have ordered the reopening of the Mughal Road for vehicular traffic from Friday, marking the first time the strategic route will remain open in February, subject to weather, security conditions and traffic advisories.

Acting on communications from the Officer Commanding, 52 RCC (GREF), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), regarding the stretch from Shopian (Km 0.00) to Peer Ki Gali (Km 40.550) on National Highway 701A, District Magistrate Shopian Shishir Gupta ordered that vehicular movement be allowed from February 27, 2026 onwards. The reopening will be strictly subject to fair weather, any unforeseen eventualities and traffic advisories issued by the police, the order said.

Authorities have directed road and security agencies to keep manpower and machinery in place to deal with possible landslides, avalanches and other disruptions to ensure smooth movement of traffic. Senior Superintendent of Police , Shopian, ARTO Shopian and the Dy SP, traffic, Shopian have been instructed to deploy adequate personnel to enforce the order in letter and spirit.

A BRO official told Greater Kashmir that the road has been reopened in February for the first time, despite heavy snow accumulation along several stretches. The snow clarence drive from the Shopian side was carried out by Beacon’s 52 RCC under Project Beacon, with teams working in extreme weather conditions to reopen the arterial route linking the Kashmir Valley with the Pir Panjal region “Several portions of the road were covered under four to five feet of snow, while areas hit by avalanches had snow deposits as high as 15 feet,” the official said.