UPDATE (12:20 p.m. Tuesday, March 3): The Minnesota State Patrol and the Minnesota Department of Transportation have re-opened Interstate 94 between St. Cloud and Hasty/Silver Creek after this morning’s series of accidents.
MnDOT crews were treating and plowing roads as of 12:15 p.m., and the MSP announced all lanes were open.
MSP Spokesperson Sgt. Jess Grabow called the stretch the “worst he’s seen in 28 years” of working Minnesota roads. Grabow said there were 31 total crashes during the stretch that forced the road to close, including four with injuries. Seventeen additional vehicles were off road and needed either towing or state trooper assistance.
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Original story: Multiple accidents in the eastbound AND westbound lanes of Interstate 94 have forced officials to close the highway entirely at the Clearwater (Minnesota Highway 24) exit today, Tuesday, March 3.
The road is expected to remain closed for the next two hours as officials clean up multiple crashes after this morning’s commute was doused with heavy snowfall. Several cars, trucks and SUVs have spun out and are clogging the road and ditches on both sides of the freeway.
Wesbound traffic should detour at the Hasty exit.
Traffic is being detoured by Minnesota State Patrol squads and Wright County deputies.