Rough commute as crashes block roads
Updated: 10:25 a.m. | Posted: 7:40 a.m.
Icy conditions on Twin Cities roads stalled traffic and caused more than 150 accidents on Tuesday morning.
Between 1 and 2 inches of snow fell in the metro area overnight, but temperatures that bottomed out more than 10 degrees below zero helped lead to the treacherous conditions during the morning commute.
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The Minnesota State Patrol reported 152 crashes in the Metro area during Tuesday's commute. Spokesperson Lt. Tiffani Nielson said 22 people were injured in those crashes, although there were no serious injuries or fatalities. The patrol also received reports of at least 73 vehicles off the road between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m.
The accidents forced the temporary closure of some major roads in the region as emergency responders worked to get lanes cleared. Many roads in the central and southern parts of the state were at least partially covered by snow or ice as of 7 a.m., according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
A pileup that appeared to involve a semitrailer and more than a dozen cars blocked the ramp from Highway 280 to eastbound Interstate 94. Emergency responders were at the scene but it wasn't immediately apparent whether there were any serious injuries.
Other accidents temporarily led to the closure of I-94 in Brooklyn Center and Highway 100 northbound. Crashes also blocked lanes on highways across the Twin Cities through much of the morning.
Southern Minnesota was also hit hard by the storm. An accident involving a semitrailer blocked Highway 14 eastbound in Mankato between Blue Earth County Road 5 and Highway 169 at about 6:30 a.m. The Transportation Department classified many of the roads south of Winona as completely covered by snow or ice at about 7 a.m.