Traffic jams have abated in downtown Minneapolis after a semitrailer truck that overturned had blocked lanes on southbound I-35W for a couple hours Thursday had been towed away. All lanes and ramps in the area have reopened.
Drivers encountered a lunchtime snarl after the big rig tipped over in the vicinity of 26th Street while rounding a curve in the construction zone around 10:30 a.m.
For about a short time, all southbound lanes were closed in the area and all traffic was diverted onto westbound I-94. Around 12:20 p.m., one southbound lane on I-35W was reopened, but only for motorists already on the freeway.
Ramps from Washington Avenue and westbound I-94 remained closed while the truck was uprighted and taken away.
The incident clogged traffic on southbound I-35W as far back as the Mississippi River and on westbound I-94 near Hiawatha Avenue. By 1:30 p.m., all ramps and lanes had reopened and traffic was free flowing.
