The Jammu–Srinagar National Highway is the northernmost segment of

NH 44 National Highway 44 (NH 44) is a major north–south National Highway in India and is the longest in the country. It passes through the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, in addition to the states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, ...

(formerly NH 1A before the renumbering of all national highways). It runs from Srinagar in the Kashmir Valley southward to the city of

Jammu Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district of the union territory. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi, the city of Jammu, with an area of ...

. It is one of the two road links (the other being the

Mughal Road Mughal Road is the road between Bufliaz, a town in the Poonch district, to the Shopian district, in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. The 84-kilometre roadhttp://www.greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?Date=6_12_2008&ItemID=35 ...

) that connects the Kashmir Valley with the rest of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. The traffic on the highway is controlled by two control rooms, one in Srinagar and the other in Jammu. __TOC__

Features

The highway starts from Lal Chowk, Srinagar and passes through

Pulwama district The Pulwama district is located to the south of Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir. Its district headquarters are situated in the city of Pulwama. It is located in the central part of the Kashmir Valley. Administration In 1979 Anantnag d ...

Anantnag district Anantnag district is a district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is one of ten districts which make up the Kashmir Valley. The district headquarters is Anantnag city. As of 2011, it was the third most populous district ...

, Kulgam district,

Ramban district Ramban district is a district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, located in the lap of the Pir Panjal range. It was carved out as a separate district from erstwhile Doda district in 2007. It is located in the Jammu division. Th ...

, and

Udhampur district Udhampur is a district in the Indian Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Covering an area of in the Himalayan mountains, the district has its headquarters in the town of Udhampur. The Northern Command headquarters of the Indian Army is lo ...

, and ends in

Jammu city Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district of the union territory. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi, the city of Jammu, with an area of , ...

. The highway lies in the Kashmir valley for the first 68 km (up to

Qazigund Qazigund, also known as Gateway Of Kashmir, is a town and in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Qazigund is located at . It has an average elevation of 1670 m (5478 feet) above mean sea level. Qazigund Bypass Passes Th ...

), then passes through a series of mountains up to Udhampur. In the mountains, the highway is often closed for days during winter due to heavy snowfall and the resulting landslides and avalanches.

Improvements

The government of Jammu and Kashmir maintains and improves the highway. At many sites, new and straighter roadbeds make the journey more comfortable and shorter. Notably, tunnels, such as the Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel and the

Banihal Qazigund Road Tunnel Banihal Qazigund Road Tunnel is a road tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is located in the Lower Himalayas, on National Highway 44. Its Construction started in 2011 and was completed in 2021. It is one of the longest tunnel in India, wi ...

have reduced the distance between Jammu and Srinagar (formerly 295 km) by about 40 km and will minimize winter closures. Notable attractions along the route are the mountaintop park at

Patnitop Patnitop is a hill station, located, between Ramban Town and Udhampur city in the Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is in located on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (which is part of National Highway 44, formerly 1A), fro ...

and the town of Kud with its sweets shops that make "desi ghee

patisa Soan papdi (also known as san papri, shompapri,sohan papdi, shonpapdi or patisa) is a popular dessert in the Indian subcontinent. The term ''sohan'' is of Persian origin. It bears some resemblance to the Persian ''sohan pashmaki'', which gave ri ...

". These are reached by following the old NH 44 rather than taking the Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel.

Alternatives

A railway line runs from

Baramulla Baramulla (), also known as Varmul () in Kashmiri, is a town and a municipality in the Baramulla district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Baramulla district. It is on the ...

at the western end of the Kashmir Valley, to the south end of Srinagar, and reaches Banihal south of the

Pir Panjal Range The Pir Panjal Range ( Kashmiri: ) is a group of mountains in the Lesser Himalayan region, running from east-southeast (ESE) to west-northwest (WNW) across the Indian territories of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir and then Pakistan's ...

via the Banihal Railway Tunnel, India's longest railway tunnel, at . The railway has eased traffic on the highway. The distance between

, north of the Pir Panjal Range, and Banihal, south of the range, is 35 km by road but only 17 km by railway, and may cut time and costs by three-quarters. From Banihal, there is bus service south to

Udhampur Udhampur (ˌʊd̪ʱəmpur) is a city and a municipal council in Udhampur district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters of Udhampur District. Named after Raja Udham Singh, it serves as the district capital ...

and Jammu.

Traffic control rooms

Traffic on the highway is controlled by traffic control rooms in the two capital cities. Personnel at either control room can provide road conditions and give recommendations on the advisability of travel. * The contact number of ''Traffic control room Srinagar'' is 01942450022 and * The contact number of ''Traffic control room Jammu'' is 01942459048. *The contact number of "Traffic control room Pulwama" is 01933247369.

Hazards

Weather remains a travel hazard. In February 2019, incessant rain caused avalanches and landslides at several points in the mountains. This closed the highway for a week, leading to rationing of petrol and diesel fuel throughout the Kashmir Valley. When such hazards occur, the control rooms sometimes prevent vehicles from beginning a journey. Vehicles already on the highway might not be able to proceed, or might proceed only in single file or with an escort vehicle. Travelers may have to make spontaneous arrangements for overnight stays.

References