The commute into Montreal on Monday morning was painfully slow and frustrating as thousands of motorists lined up for kilometres on detour routes after Saturday's deadly overpass collapse closed Highway 19 in Laval.

Traffic was backed up as early as 6:00 a.m. on highways 25 and 15, the north-south routes into Montreal, and it took up to three hours for some commuters to get onto the island.

Highway 19 is one of four main arteries that connects Laval to the island of Montreal.
(Radio-Canada)

Highway 19 between Highway 440 and Henri-Bourassa Boulevard is expected to remain closed for several weeks, while workers clean up the debris after tonnes of concrete and steel from the De la Concorde viaduct crashed onto the road, killing five people and injuring six.

About 57,000 motorists use Highway 19 every day to commute into Montreal from Laval and parts of the Laurentians and Lanaudiere regions.

Drivers can still cross on to the island using the Papineau-Leblanc Bridge, which is open southbound via Lévesque Boulevard. 

Transport officials are urging people who normally use the Papineau Bridge to consider using the Pie IX Bridge on Highway 25, the Viau Bridge on Highway 335 or the Médéric-Martin Bridge on Highway 15.

Public transit an option

Transport officials are urging motorists to consider carpooling or using public transit.

Transit authorities in Laval and Montreal have increased service on some routes to accommodate more commuters:

• One extra commuter train will run between Blainville and Montreal, with stops at the Sainte-Rose and Saint-Martin stations. The extra train will leave Sainte-Rose at 8:30 a.m., and will stop at Saint-Martin at 8:38 a.m.
• An extra park-and-ride parking lot has been set up at Cinéma Guzzo in Laval, with 400 spots available. A free bus shuttle to the Henri-Bourassa subway station will be available from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• There is also a park-and-ride lot at the Carrefour Laval shopping centre, with shuttle service to the Côte-Vertu subway station.
• Reserved bus lanes will also be extended along Laurentian Boulevard.

Transit officials will revise the special measures every 24 hours and adjust emergency plan according to need. They admit the extra service will not relieve congestion during rush hour periods and are urging people to be patient.

For more information, go to the websites of Transports Québec, the Laval Transit Commission or the Montreal Transit Commission, or call:

• In Laval: (450) 688-6520 or (450) 680-2800.
• In Montreal: (514) 287-TRAM or 1-888-355-0511.