Snowfall leads to accidents, road closures across Montreal
Longueuil police are urging motorists to avoid the area near Route 132 entirely as driving conditions continue to deteriorate.
Last updated 3 hours ago
Multi-car pileups, spinouts and an increasingly heavy amount of snowfall turned Montreal’s morning rush hour into a series of bottlenecks that still remained in place hours later, the most recent being a multi-vehicle pileup on the southbound Mercier that closed the span’s La Prairie exit.
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A little before 7 a.m., a series of collisions and spinouts in the Longueuil area because of snow led to the total shutdown of westbound Route 132 at the Highway 25 interchange.
By 10:30 a.m., the area around eastbound Route 132 at Highway 20 remained at a virtual standstill, with the northbound lanes of the latter thoroughfare also choked with vehicles dealing with a treacherous road surface.
R132 ouest à Longueuil, fermeture complète pour une durée indéterminée au niveau de l'échangeur #A25, accident 2 véhicules
Longueuil police urged motorists to avoid the area entirely as driving conditions continue to deteriorate because of the ongoing snowfall.
CONDITIONS MÉTÉOROLOGIQUES DIFFICILES
CARAMBOLAGE ET COLLISIONS MULTIPLES
LE @PoliceSPAL INVITE LES AUTOMOBILISTES À ÉVITER LA ROUTE 132 DANS LES 2 DIRECTIONS, DANS LE SECTEUR DE L'AUTOROUTE 20.
The tricky road conditions come as Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning for Montreal and the surrounding areas, saying up to 15 centimetres could land by end of day.
“The snow will be heavy at times, which could have a significant impact on traffic during rush hour. Visibility will likely be reduced at times,” the warning reads. “Prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions.”
Commuters on the island of Montreal were also told to manage their expectations Thursday when it came to the frequency — or availability — of bus service from the Société de transport de Montréal.
Meanwhile, westbound Highway 20 between the Décarie Expressway and the St-Pierre interchange was also problematic.
But driving problems were not confined to local highways. City streets also became toboggan runs, with cars unable to climb even gentle slopes because of icy conditions. Montreal police were out in force in an effort to untangle the mess, and they joined other local police in urging motorists to stay off the roads if they did not have to travel.
Meanwhile, the REM is also experiencing service disruptions Thursday morning, with operators saying weather conditions are the cause.
This report will be updated.
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