Crashes and congestion conspired to create just enough angst for commuters Monday. The current action has a ramp from southbound Hwy. 169 at Marschall Road closed due to a crash. Scanner reports indicate drivers cutting through the ditch to turn around. That's a big no no. Construction on Marschall might be a factor in the ramp jam there.

Both directions of Crosstown and 494 through Edina and Bloomington continue to struggle. Crashes on westbound 494 at Lyndale and Portland Avenues have just cleared. The Crosstown is dealing with a westbound crash at Tracy Avenue and another one at Lyndale Avenue.

Trains and buses ran on time, but commuters on southbound 35E got caught in a mess early this morning. A crash and stall on the ramp from westbound 694 to southbound 35E had traffic at a near standstill around 7 a.m., and that had traffic jammed back to Hwy. 61.

Traffic on northbound 35W from Crosstown to downtown Minneapolis has only minor slowing at this hour. Earlier accidents at Diamond Lake Road and 46th Street led to a jam that had travel times at 15 minutes. Those wrecks are long gone.

The early rush on westbound Hwy. 36 was an adventure as a crash at Lexington Avenue gummed things up in the 7 a.m. hour with delays from Hwy. 61 over to the crash at Lexington.

A reminder that some ramps at Snelling Avenue to and from I-94 are now closed until Decmeber to allow Xcel Energy to move power lines ahead of a bridge reconstruction project that MnDOT will do next spring. Here is the information I posted earlier this morning:

That's when St. Anthony Avenue betweeen Snelling Avenue and Pascal Street will close, as will the ramp from westbound 94 to Snelling Avenue. The ramp from Snelling Avenue to eastbound 94 and Concordia Avenue between Ashbury Street and Snelling Avenue will, too.

During the closures, which will last until December, motorists will be directed to Lexington Parkway, Hamline, Pascal, Marshall, University and Snelling Avenues.

Why all the fuss? Xcel Energy will be relocating power lines ahead of a big road construction project scheduled for next spring. That's when MnDOT will demolish the Snelling Avenue overpass over I-94 and rebuild it.