Samuel-De Champlain Bridge closed southbound from Friday 11 p.m. to Monday 5 a.m.
The Samuel-De Champlain Bridge closes completely to southbound traffic starting Friday at 11 p.m. and stays closed until Monday at 5 a.m., according to Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI). If you drive from Montreal to the South Shore on a normal weekend commute, plan on a different route this time. No southbound lanes will be open on the span during this window, and JCCBI says the closure is tied to roadwork and equipment installation as part of the bridge’s ongoing maintenance program.
Northbound traffic, heading into Montreal, is not affected by this particular closure. That distinction matters because it shapes which detours make sense and how bad the delays actually get, depending on which direction you’re driving.
Key takeaways
- The closure runs from 11 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday, southbound only, toward Brossard. Northbound lanes stay open the entire weekend.
- If you’re heading to the South Shore, use the Jacques-Cartier Bridge or Route 132 as your primary detour. Both will see heavier traffic than usual, especially Friday night and Saturday morning.
- Add 20 to 30 minutes to your trip if you’re traveling southbound during Friday evening or Saturday midday, based on patterns from similar past closures.
- A separate closure affects Highway 30 in Vaudreuil-Dorion this same weekend. Check your full route, not just the bridge, before you leave.
- This is one of two closure weekends. The following weekend brings a matching closure northbound, so if you missed this one, don’t assume you’re clear next week.
Closure details: dates, times and affected span
The full closure covers the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge’s southbound span from Friday at 11 p.m. until Monday at 5 a.m., per JCCBI’s official closures and detours page. That’s roughly 54 hours with zero southbound access across the bridge itself.
This isn’t the first overnight closure of the season. Earlier in August, JCCBI closed the entire bridge overnight between August 16 and 18, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., also for equipment installation. That earlier closure affected both directions but only during nighttime hours. This weekend’s closure is different: it’s southbound-only, but it runs continuously through the entire weekend rather than resetting each night.
Why the closure is southbound only, toward Brossard
JCCBI has structured this closure to isolate one direction at a time rather than shutting down the whole bridge. That approach keeps at least half of the bridge’s capacity available throughout the weekend, even though it concentrates all the disruption on drivers heading toward Brossard and the South Shore.
The southbound-only design also matches a pattern in the bridge’s 2022 work schedule. Crews alternate which span they close from one weekend to the next, which lets them complete work on one side without shutting the corridor down entirely. The tradeoff is that South Shore-bound drivers absorb the brunt of the disruption this weekend, while Montreal-bound drivers get their turn the following weekend.
Montreal South Shore detour: Jacques-Cartier Bridge and alternate routes
If you’re driving from Montreal to the South Shore this weekend, the Jacques-Cartier Bridge is the most direct alternate crossing. It sits just east of the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge and connects to many of the same South Shore arteries, including Route 132 and access points toward Brossard, Longueuil and Saint-Lambert.
Route 132 also works as a secondary path for drivers coming from the west end of the island or from areas closer to the Mercier Bridge corridor. Neither route was built to absorb the full southbound volume that normally crosses the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge, so expect backups at the approaches to both alternatives, particularly during Friday evening rush hour and Saturday’s midday peak.
“Expect major traffic delays to get to the South Shore,” according to a weekend traffic advisory from the Montreal Gazette covering this closure.
That’s a blunt way to put it, but it’s roughly what happens when a six-lane crossing loses half its capacity overnight and into the weekend. If your trip isn’t urgent, shifting it to early Saturday morning or late Sunday night will likely save you time compared to Friday night or Saturday afternoon.
Estimated added travel time during peak hours
Based on how traffic behaved during comparable past closures on this bridge, plan for an additional 20 to 30 minutes on southbound trips during peak periods, specifically Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Saturday between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Overnight and early morning trips, outside those windows, should see far less impact since baseline traffic volume drops sharply after midnight.
The table below compares expected conditions across the main crossing options this weekend.
| Route | Status this weekend | Expected delay (peak hours) |
|---|---|---|
| Samuel-De Champlain Bridge (southbound) | Fully closed, Fri 11 p.m. to Mon 5 a.m. | Not applicable, no access |
| Samuel-De Champlain Bridge (northbound) | Open | Minimal |
| Jacques-Cartier Bridge | Open, higher volume expected | 20 to 30 minutes |
| Route 132 | Open, secondary alternate | 15 to 25 minutes |
Reason for the work: roadwork and equipment installation schedule
JCCBI attributes this closure directly to roadwork and equipment installation, according to its official detours and travel planning updates. This falls under the same category of work that prompted the earlier overnight closures in mid-August, though this weekend’s job requires a longer, continuous closure window rather than a nightly one.
The distinction matters for anyone trying to predict future disruptions. Overnight-only closures, like the August 16 to 18 window, tend to affect commuters less because they fall entirely within low-traffic hours. Weekend-long closures like this one bleed into Friday evening and Saturday daytime traffic, which is why JCCBI issues specific advisories ahead of these events rather than treating them as routine maintenance notices.
Related closures this weekend: Highway 30 in Vaudreuil-Dorion
If your route touches Highway 30 near Vaudreuil-Dorion, you’re dealing with a second, unrelated closure this same weekend. This closure sits well west of the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge and affects a different set of commuters, primarily those traveling between the West Island, Vaudreuil-Dorion and points further along the Highway 30 corridor.
Drivers whose normal route includes both the bridge and Highway 30 face a compounded problem: two separate detours stacked on the same trip. Check both JCCBI’s advisories and Quebec’s Ministry of Transportation updates before finalizing your route, especially if you’re traveling long-distance through the greater Montreal area this weekend.
Other Montreal-area lane closures drivers should watch
Beyond the bridge and Highway 30, a portion of René-Lévesque Boulevard is also closed southbound, specifically between Champlain Bridge Street and the Claude-Robillard traffic circle. This is a smaller, localized closure, but it directly affects access routes leading toward the bridge itself, which means it can add to congestion for drivers trying to reach alternate crossings.
If you’re navigating downtown Montreal toward any South Shore crossing this weekend, build in extra time for local street-level closures like this one, not just the major bridge and highway closures.
How this closure fits the bridge’s broader 2022 maintenance calendar
This weekend’s closure isn’t an isolated event. It’s part of a maintenance schedule that JCCBI has run since at least mid-August, with work extending into November 2022, according to JCCBI’s public updates. The pattern has been consistent: overnight closures for smaller installation work, and full weekend closures, alternating direction, for larger jobs that need more sustained access to the bridge deck.
For regular commuters, that means this isn’t the last disruption of the season. If you rely on the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge regularly, checking JCCBI’s closures page before each weekend through the fall is worth the two minutes it takes.
What happens on the following weekend (northbound closure)
The weekend immediately after this closure, the bridge closes again, this time northbound, according to reporting on JCCBI’s schedule. That means Montreal-bound drivers coming from the South Shore will face the same kind of disruption that southbound drivers are dealing with this weekend, just in the reverse direction.
If you’re planning travel for both weekends, treat them as mirror images: South Shore access is constrained this weekend, and Montreal-bound access is constrained the next.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Champlain Bridge closed southbound right now?
The Samuel-De Champlain Bridge is closed southbound from 11 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday. Outside that window, southbound lanes operate normally. Check JCCBI’s closures and detours page for the most current status before you travel.
What is the detour for South Shore drivers this weekend?
Use the Jacques-Cartier Bridge or Route 132 as your main alternate routes to reach the South Shore. Both connect to Brossard, Longueuil and surrounding areas, though expect added traffic on both, particularly Friday evening and Saturday midday.
Is the Lake Champlain Bridge open?
Yes. The Lake Champlain Bridge, which crosses Lake Champlain between New York and Vermont, is a separate structure entirely from the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge in Montreal. Its operating status isn’t affected by this weekend’s Montreal-area closure.
Is the Champlain Bridge in Ottawa closed today?
There is no Champlain Bridge in Ottawa. The bridge network connecting Ottawa to Gatineau includes the Portage, Alexandra and Chaudière bridges, among others, but none carry the Champlain Bridge name. This closure applies specifically to the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge in Montreal.
Are there other bridge closures in the Montreal area this weekend?
Yes. Beyond the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge, Highway 30 in Vaudreuil-Dorion has a separate closure this same weekend, and a section of René-Lévesque Boulevard near Champlain Bridge Street is also closed southbound. If your route touches any of these areas, check current advisories for each before you leave.
If your weekend plans involve crossing the river toward the South Shore, build your route around the Jacques-Cartier Bridge now, and check JCCBI’s page again Friday afternoon in case conditions change before the closure takes effect.