With most public and private schools closed and classes at many colleges and universities called off, traffic volumes were down on metro area roads. But that did not stop a spate of crashes and rollovers. Roads also were littered with spin outs.
Black ice and snow covered ramps and bridges made for slick conditions. Rollovers began around 5 a.m. with two on southbound 494 between Bass Lake Road and Hwy. 55. They continued throughout the rush hour with at least 10 reported between 5 and 9 a.m.
Crashes on southbound 35W at County Road D and one at County C tangled traffic for nearly two hours. At times it was like gridlock conditions from Lake Drive in Blaine to Industrial Blvd. in Minneapolis. I-94 suffered with eastbound jammed from the Lowry Tunnel to Riverside Avenue. Westbound had crashes at Marion Street, Hwy. 280 and Hamline Avenue.
The snow and cold also delayed the Northstar Commuter line from Big Lake to Minneapolis. The first run was 30 minutes late due to a frozen switch in Elk River. The fifth and final run was cancelled because the first train could not get back to Big Lake in time. Buses transported riders from stations in Elk River, Anoka, Ramsey, Coon Rapids and Fridley to downtown Minneapolis.
Blue Line trains are back to regular service. For about 90 minutes, trains were not running between Humphrey Terminal 2 station and the Mall of America.
Currently we have a number of crashes that are causing traffic delays. Here is where you will find them:
- Southbound Hwy. 100, right lane blocked at 42nd Avenue in Crystal
- Eastbound 494 at Hwy. 169, right lane blocked.
- Eastbound Hwy. 36 at Snelling Avenue.
- Hwy. 36 at Hilton Trail in Mahtomedi.
- Eastbound 94 at Brooklyn Blvd.
- Southbound 35W at 46th Street.
- Westbound 94 at Hamline Avenue.
