Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 4

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is laying the Srinagar-Leh road at Zojila with concrete blocks which can bear extreme weather conditions on one of the highest motorable roads.

According to a BRO official, 3-km stretch of the upper alignment of the Zojila has been completely paved with the “interlocking concrete block” on which vehicles can move smoothly.

“The laying of concrete blocks will provide smooth road access to the vehicles. As the stretch is located at a very high altitude faced with extreme weather, the blocks provide friction and can withstand extreme weather in freezing cold and icy surface. The block laying is a fine replacement for black topping, which is not possible at such an unfavourable spot,” the official said.

The official said the plan was to lay concrete blocks for 6 km of the Pass and thus far, 2.5 km had been completed.

“The pending work will be completed in the upcoming season. Because of the heavy rush of transport due to stocking time, this season won’t provide much time for the laying of blocks on the stretch,” he said.

As the road is vulnerable to landslides due to snowfall and frequent rainfall which damage the road surface, the interlocking technique of concrete blocks offers much resistance against weather and has a longer life.

“The concrete blocking is best for such conditions. Blocks will not slide or move as these are fixed on all four sides for strong and firm grip,” the official said.

The Srinagar-Leh highway remains closed for half of the year due to snow and slides during winter, and restoring and repairing Zojila is a daunting task for the BRO.

The highway sees a daily rush of hundreds of heavy truckloads and passenger vehicles from the Ladakh region, putting a lot of pressure on the stretch.