NEXT Drive: Stretch of I-94 westbound closed in north metro after semi tips over
HOPKINS, Minn. — Road conditions slowly improved Friday morning after multiple crashes in the Twin Cities area.
More than a dozen incidents had been reported by 8 a.m. WCCO issued a NEXT Drive Alert due to frosty conditions with many people out on the roads. Many bridges and overpasses were slick in wintry conditions.
A lingering issue is on Interstate 94 north of the metro area. A semi-truck tipped over on the interstate in Brooklyn Center, closing the westbound lanes between highways 252 and 100. The road opened around 3 p.m.
Due to overall improving conditions, however, the NEXT Drive Alert expired at 9 a.m.
Another big crash occurred on Highway 169 in Hopkins shortly after 5 a.m., closing southbound lanes. WCCO cameras showed at least four vehicles being towed from the area, while MnDOT says about a dozen vehicles were involved at one point.
The incident had cleared by about 7:45 a.m.
MORE NEWS: New statistics show that crime is going down in Minneapolis
The Minnesota Department of Transportation's 511MN map showed crashes earlier in the morning spread out across the metro area, including three crashes in the Eden Prairie area and three in Minneapolis.
According to the Minnesota State Patro, there were 101 crashes between 12 a.m. and noon, with 12 of the crashes involving an injury. No crashes involved serious injury or death. There were an additional 14 vehicle spin-outs.