According to information obtained by Monaco-Matin, a dramatic vehicle fire erupted at the Monaco toll booth on the France-Italy route on Tuesday, March 11, snarling traffic along the busy A8 highway. The blaze broke out around 15:00 at exit 56, forcing authorities to close the exit ramp toward the A500 tunnel by 15:05. Motorists whipped out their phones to capture the towering flames, which lit up the afternoon sky.
The Departmental Fire and Rescue Service rushed to the scene, deploying a hose to tackle the fire, which was under control by 15:20. No one was hurt—luckily, the car’s occupants got out just in time. The toll barrier stayed shut for over an hour as crews worked to douse the flames and clear the wreckage. By 16:30, the charred remains were hauled away by a tow truck, and cleanup was underway on the scorched lane.
Traffic started flowing again around 16:30, with the two leftmost lanes reopened toward the A500 and Moyenne Corniche. The right lane, still a mess from the fire, remained closed as workers scrubbed away the damage.
Image: RR
