The snowfall was paltry by Minnesota standards, but the inch or so was enough to slicken up highways and freeways. Bridge decks and entrance and exit ramps were particularly treacherous as numerous vehicles slid into the ditch.
Eastbound 94 from the Crow River to the Fish Lake Interchange from Rogers to Maple Grove was a headache all morning as two spin outs at Weaver Lake Road and a crash in the same spot kept traffic at a crawl until just after 8:30 a.m. Drive times topped 30 minutes at times for west metro commuters on this route.
Southbound Hwy. 169 was no picnic either as congestion led to long drive times from Hwy. 610 to the Crosstown. At present, that trip is still at 29 minutes.
In the east metro, a spectacular crash blocked lanes on eastbound 94 at the Hwy. 95 exit, just before the Hudson Bridge. With two lanes blocked just before 8 a.m., traffic jammed back to County 21. Westbound drivers had only congestion to deal with, but that sill added extra time to the trip into St. Paul.
Both 35W and 35E in the south metro saw their share of delays while I-494 across the Wakota Bridge was hampered by a crash near Hwy. 61 in the left lane around 8 a.m.
Exit ramps proved too difficult for motorists as incessant calls for spin outs and cars in the ditch came across the scanner all morning. One problem ramp was on northbound Hwy. 169 to eastbound 94 in Brooklyn Park. A three-vehicle crash blocked the ramp just before 7 a.m. included a State Trooper's squad car.
Commuters across the metro doubled their drive times in many cases. Transit riders escaped most of the mayhem as buses and trains ran on time, Metro Transit and MVTA officials said.
