La Fontaine tunnel closure: Quebec premier ‘open’ to banning solo drivers during rush hour

François Legault said drivers are asked to carpool or use public transit as the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel is set to partially close for three years, but it's not a rule.

As the partial closure of a major tunnel between Montreal and its south shore is set to hamper commutes, local and provincial authorities say they haven’t closed the door on more mitigation measures.

Quebec Premier François Legault told reporters Wednesday that he was “open” to a suggestion by the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal about the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel.

Michel Leblanc took to Twitter to say access to the link should be limited during peak hours to carpooling, public transit and trucks. Solo drivers behind the wheel should be prohibited during that time, he added.

“A difficult solution to limit the damage,” Leblanc wrote.

The tunnel, which has about 120,000 commuters on a daily basis, is set to partially close at the end of the month for major repair work for three years. Under the plan, only two lanes will be open towards Montreal and one lane heading to the south shore.

It is expected to reopen at the end of 2025.

Legault, for his part, said the province has already implemented mitigation measures to ease traffic woes and advised drivers who usually travel alone to consider other options.