Gridlock of biblical proportions developed in the north and east metro as both directions of 694 were shut down between I-35E and I-35W following a wild police chase that ended when a suspect suspected of shooting a man at a Maple Grove rest area crashed at Rice Street.
The suspect allegedly brandished a weapon at police, who shot the suspect, authorities said. Multiple agencies were involved in the incident. The eastbound lanes of the freeway remains closed at this hour and will be until further notice. Westbound lanes are opening, MnDOT says.
The closure resulted in gridlock on southbound 35W that has yet to shake loose.
Meanwhile a late rush hour crash on westbound 94 at the 494/694 interchange has one lane open. Four vehicles are involved in a wreck taking out the other three lanes.
In Maple Grove, the 694 incident was related to a shooting at the Elm Creek Rest Area. The rest stop remains closed. That had traffic from Hwy. 101 to the Fish Lake Interchange at a crawl for most of the morning, too. The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office has called an 11 a.m. press conference to give more details on the incident which left two people dead.
Elsewhere a smattering of crashes led to minor delays across the system.
That is it for today. I'll be back Thursday with more traffic reports, and hopefully a calmer commute.
