Commuters who left early missed all the action and frustration on the roads Thursday, as all crashes and delays popped up after 7:30 a.m.
Until then, it was smooth sailing, then all hell broke loose. The string of crashes started at 7:40 a.m. with a mishap on eastbound 94 at 53rd Avenue, which led to the closure of that ramp and had traffic bunched up back to the 694/Hwy. 252 interchange.
Moments later, the most bizarre crash of the day took place on westbound 94 near Lexington Avenue. At least four cars were involved in a crash and one vehicle landed partially on the concrete median. There had been reports of aggressive drivers in the area, according to accounts on social media.
That wreck tied up traffic back to Hwy. 61 on the east side of St. Paul. The effects are still being felt even though the crash cleared more than 30 minutes ago.
At present, westbound 94 comes to a grind at Cedar Avenue due to a stall ahead at Chicago Avenue. Southbound 35W is bound up from Hwy. 280 to Washington Avenue where a stall has just been pushed out of the center lane.
More crash action had westbound 694 locked up for about an hour. A three-car wreck on the overpass at Hwy. 252 had things crammed from Central Avenue past the scene.
It all goes to show you that even with good weather and dry roads, the highways can be a dangerous place. Do your part to drive safely and keep your attention on the roads and hands on the wheel.
