Slush hour: Snow going on the roads

By TIM HARLOW, Star Tribune

Last update: March 5, 2008 - 9:14 AM

A light dusting of snow created a slippery mess for the morning commute, with scores of spinouts and crashes reported on metro area highways.

Between 5:30 and 7:30 a.m., the State Patrol responded to 24 accidents, five stalled vehicles and 13 vehicles that had slipped off the road. Among the more serious accidents was a semi-trailer truck that rolled over just after 6 a.m., causing a long backup in both directions on Interstate Hwy. 94 at Riverside Avenue. That accident has cleared.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation reports that roads in the Twin Cities are in fair condition this morning.

"Roads are wet and slick," said a spokesman for the Regional Transportation Management Center in Roseville.

Currently a stalled vehicle is blocking traffic on westbound Hwy. 62 at 28th Avenue in Minneapolis. Traffic also is slow on eastbound I-94 at the Lowry Hill Tunnel due to a stalled vehicle, on southbound Hwy. 280 at University Avenue due to an accident, both directions of I-694 at Matterhorn Drive in New Brighton due to a spin out, and on northbound I 35E at I-494 in Eagan.

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