Driving in Montreal this weekend? These road closures might cause major headaches

Montreal drivers are about to have a rough weekend on the road.

According to the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable, multiple major closures are hitting the city from Friday, January 30, through Monday, February 2, and one of the biggest pain points is going to be the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine Tunnel, which will be completely shut down in both directions for hours on Friday night into Saturday.

If you were planning to cross between Montreal and the South Shore overnight, you’re going to need a backup plan. And that’s just the start of it.

Here’s the full breakdown of what’s closing and when.

Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine Tunnel is closing both ways

The tunnel is shutting down in both directions on Friday night, which means anyone trying to get between Montreal and Longueuil will need to reroute through the Jacques-Cartier Bridge or find another way around.

Southbound (Montreal to Longueuil)

When: Friday, 11 p.m. to Saturday, 8 a.m

The entire tunnel will be closed between Exit 5 (Sherbrooke Street) in Montreal and Route 132 in Longueuil. You’ll need to take Dickson Street south, hop on Notre-Dame, and cross via the Jacques-Cartier Bridge instead.

If you’re driving a truck over 4.25 metres tall, your detour is even longer: Dickson north to Hochelaga, then De l’Assomption Boulevard, Sherbrooke Street, and Pie-IX south.

Heads up: Access ramps from Sherbrooke, Tellier, and des Futailles will close 30 minutes early, so don’t wait until the last minute.

Oh, and Souligny Avenue eastbound will also be closed between Dickson and Honoré-Beaugrand. Take Hochelaga instead.

Northbound (Longueuil to Montreal)

When: Friday, 11 p.m. to Saturday, 8 a.m.

The tunnel will be completely closed from Exit 90 (Route 132) on Highway 20 west in Longueuil all the way to the Sherbrooke Street access on Highway 25 north in Montreal.

Your detour: Route 132 west to Exit 82, cross the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, exit downtown toward De Lorimier Avenue, then follow Notre-Dame, Curatteau, and De Boucherville streets. Trucks should use Pie-IX, Sherbrooke, and De Boucherville instead.

Several access ramps will also close 30 minutes early, including Route 132 east and west (exits 89-N), Île-Charron Street, and Hochelaga Street. Plan accordingly.

Highway 40 and the Charles-De Gaulle Bridge are losing lanes

When: Friday, 9:30 p.m. to Monday, 4 a.m.

One out of three lanes will be closed in both directions on Highway 40 between Gouin Boulevard East in Montreal and Route 344 in Terrebonne. That includes the Charles-De Gaulle Bridge.

Lane widths will shrink to 3.3 metres, and the speed limit drops to 50 km/h. The ministry is warning that traffic could get ugly during the day, so if you’re driving through here on Saturday or Sunday, leave extra time.

Viger Avenue East gets squeezed on Sunday

When: Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Three out of four lanes will be closed on Viger Avenue East between Papineau Avenue and Panet Street in Ville-Marie, so expect things to move slowly if you’re in the area Sunday afternoon.

Between the La Fontaine Tunnel closure and lane reductions on Highway 40, this weekend is shaping up to be a mess for anyone driving around Montreal. If you can avoid these routes on Friday night or Saturday morning, do it. If you can’t, check Quebec511.info before you leave and build in extra time — because detours are going to add up fast.