A stretch of Hwy. 100 in St. Louis Park was closed for three hours Wednesday morning after a person threatened to jump off a bridge.

The person was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, said St. Louis Park spokeswoman Jacqueline Larson.

Authorities reopened the highway in both directions at about 10:15 a.m.

The incident unfolded just after 7 a.m. when a woman was spotted on the Excelsior Boulevard bridge and authorities shut down both directions of the highway.

A city spokeswoman said police negotiated with her and were able to resolve the situation peacefully.

The highway was closed for northbound traffic at 50th Street and for southbound traffic at Hwy. 7. Some motorists were stuck on Hwy. 100 while others were diverted onto side streets. Northbound traffic on 100 clogged up at Benton Avenue while southbound crammed up as far north as 36th Avenue N. in Robbinsdale.

Those who caught word of the incident and the massive backups found that alternate routes also were plugged up, as Hwy. 169, I-494, I-35W and city streets absorbed Hwy. 100 traffic.

Some motorists were stuck on Hwy. 100 for more than an hour until police could direct them off the road. Allysen Hoberg, who was caught in the backup, said via Twitter that she sat on Hwy. 100 from 7:30 a.m. until 8:45 a.m.

Tim Harlow