Islamabad Road Closure Today, 24 and 25 October 2026: Kashmir Chowk Routes and Every ITP Diversion

Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) have closed the roads from Rawal Dam Chowk to Kashmir Chowk and from Serena Hotel to Kashmir Chowk on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October 2026, with diversions through Srinagar Highway, Ninth Avenue and Seventh Avenue. ITP's advice is to leave 20 to 25 minutes earlier than usual. Below is every alternative route ITP gave, by where you are coming from.

The diversion plan was announced by ITP on Saturday morning, 24 October. When we checked the Islamabad Police website that evening, the plan had not been posted there, so the routes below are as announced through the state news agency. ITP did not give a reason for the closure. Kashmir Chowk is the junction where the Capital Development Authority (CDA) is building an underpass, and the work there has been under way since early October.

Two roads into Kashmir Chowk are closed on 24 and 25 October 2026

ITP closed the road from Rawal Dam Chowk to Kashmir Chowk and the road from Serena Hotel to Kashmir Chowk for two days, 24 and 25 October 2026. Traffic police are on the roads to guide drivers. Expect slower traffic on every alternative route.

These two links carry a lot of the morning and evening flow between Islamabad and Rawalpindi, and between the city and Murree Road. Shutting them pushes cars onto Srinagar Highway, Faizabad and the avenues. Chief Traffic Officer Kainat Azhar Khan said traffic police would stay deployed to keep vehicles moving.

Use Srinagar Highway and Ninth Avenue to reach Rawalpindi

If you are going from G-5, the Secretariat or Serena Hotel towards Rawalpindi, ITP says to take Srinagar Highway and then Ninth Avenue, or Srinagar Highway and then Mehrabad Peshawar Road. The Lake View U-turn also takes you back towards Murree Road or Club Road.

Coming the other way, from Rawalpindi into Islamabad, ITP's route is Ninth Avenue, Faqir Aipee Road and Srinagar Highway. That keeps you away from Kashmir Chowk entirely.

Reach Park Road, Lehtrar Road and Murree through Shakarparian

For Rawal Dam Chowk, Park Road and Lehtrar Road, ITP sends traffic along Srinagar Highway, Seventh Avenue, Shakarparian Road, Tulip Hotel and Rawal Dam Road. For Murree and Bhara Kahu via Faizabad, use Faisal Avenue, Zero Point, the Srinagar Highway underpass, Jinnah Square and Korang Chowk.

The Park Road side matters for people living around Chak Shahzad, Bani Gala and Lehtrar. Their usual run past Kashmir Chowk is closed, so the Shakarparian loop is the way in and out. Coming back towards the city, ITP's route is Tulip Hotel Road, Garden Avenue, Shakarparian Road and Seventh Avenue.

Murree weekend traffic is the one to watch. Saturday and Sunday are when families head up the hill, and the Faizabad to Korang Chowk route will carry them all. If you can, leave early in the morning.

Leave 20 to 25 minutes early and check before you drive

ITP warned that traffic could be slow during the diversions and asked people to leave 20 to 25 minutes earlier than usual. For live help, the Islamabad traffic helpline is 1915. Check again on Monday morning, because ITP has only announced the closure for 24 and 25 October.

1. Before you leave, work out which of the six routes in the table fits your trip.
2. Add 20 to 25 minutes to your usual travel time, as ITP advises.
3. Call the Islamabad traffic helpline, 1915, if you are unsure which road is open.
4. Follow the traffic police at junctions, even if your map app shows a different way.
5. On Monday 26 October, check again before driving through Kashmir Chowk, since no reopening notice has been issued yet.

Construction zones bring temporary signs and sudden lane changes. Islamabad issues traffic fines as e-challans from cameras, so slow down near the works. If a camera does catch you, you can check and pay an Islamabad e-challan online.

Kashmir Chowk is the site of CDA's new underpass

CDA began building the Kashmir Chowk underpass on 7 October 2026, at a cost of Rs 1.4 billion and with a one month target. ITP's announcement did not say whether the 24 and 25 October closure is linked to that work.

The CDA plan has two underpasses, one for traffic from Serena and one for traffic from Faizabad towards Murree, plus four new slip roads. The junction carries about 107,000 vehicles, according to CDA. That is why any closure here spills over across both cities.

If the one month target holds, the underpass would open in early November. Until then, more short closures like this one are likely. Watch for ITP's notices before weekend trips.

Common questions

Which roads are closed in Islamabad on 24 and 25 October 2026?

The road from Rawal Dam Chowk to Kashmir Chowk and the road from Serena Hotel to Kashmir Chowk, according to ITP's diversion plan.

How do I get from Islamabad to Rawalpindi during the closure?

ITP says to use Srinagar Highway and Ninth Avenue, or Srinagar Highway and Mehrabad Peshawar Road. From Rawalpindi, use Ninth Avenue, Faqir Aipee Road and Srinagar Highway.

How do I reach Murree or Bhara Kahu?

From Faizabad, take Faisal Avenue, Zero Point, the Srinagar Highway underpass, Jinnah Square and Korang Chowk.

Why are the roads to Kashmir Chowk closed?

ITP did not give a reason in its announcement. CDA is building an underpass at Kashmir Chowk, but we could not confirm that the closure is for that work.

What is the Islamabad traffic helpline number?

The Islamabad traffic helpline is 1915, as listed on the Islamabad Police website.

Will the roads reopen on Monday 26 October?

ITP announced the closure for 24 and 25 October only. No reopening notice had been issued when we checked, so confirm with 1915 before you drive on Monday.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 24 October 2026 at about 20:30 PKT. The closed roads, the six alternative routes, the 20 to 25 minute advice and the Chief Traffic Officer's statement come from ITP's announcement of 24 October 2026, as carried by the state news agency that morning. We checked the Islamabad Police website, which lists the 1915 traffic helpline but had not posted the diversion plan. The underpass cost, target and traffic figure come from CDA's release of 7 October 2026. We could not verify the reason for the closure or the exact hours.