Fire forces closure of Montreal’s Jacques Cartier bridge during morning rush hour

By Canadian Press on January 21, 2026.

MONTREAL — A building fire has forced the complete closure of Montreal’s Jacques Cartier Bridge during the busy morning rush hour period.

The federal authority that manages the bridge that connects downtown Montreal to Longueuil announced the full closure of the bridge as well as its multipurpose path and sidewalk at around 6 a.m.

The closure is caused by a fire in a vacant building on the Montreal side of the span, at the intersection of De Lorimier Ave. and Logan St..

Firefighters were called Tuesday at around 11:30 p.m. to respond to the blaze, which started on the first floor of the abandoned industrial building and spread to the upper floors.

Montreal police spokesman Éric Lafrance said firefighters were still on scene this morning.

The bridge closure is due to heavy smoke and the risk of the building collapsing and falling onto the bridge’s pillars.