Leh, Apr 7 : The lifeline of Ladakh, National Highway 1D connecting Ladakh with the rest of world was thrown open on Saturday for vehicular traffic after remaining closed for six months due to winter.
The Sonmarg-Zojila Pass was opened this year 20 days earlier, compared to last year. Last year, it was opened on April 25.
The Border Roads Organization (BRO) worked against odds in tough terrain to throw open the snow-blocked Srinagar-Leh Highway linking Ladakh region to rest of the country.
The BRO personnel were assigned with the task of clearing the snow-bound stretch across Zojila along the 434-kms-long Srinagar-Kargil-Leh Highway.
The highway passes through the 11,578-foot high pass Zojila, which lies on the lower depression of the Himalayan range, about 100-kilometres from Srinagar.
The highway was closed for traffic after heavy snowfall and avalanches at Zojila for the last 5 months.
First the army convoy was allowed to move and later civilian traffic was allowed to move on this road.
