Heavy rains flooded metro neighborhoods and roads, including a half-mile stretch of Interstate 35W near Interstate 694.

Crews closed that section of the well-traveled freeway early Saturday morning, after receiving reports of stalled vehicles. Both directions of I-35W were reopened by around 9:30 p.m.

"With the intense rains we had overnight, the overflow ponds have overflown onto the freeway," said Trooper Kyle Klawiter of the Minnesota State Patrol.

Klawiter said the water was up to four feet deep in some areas. Crews opted to close the freeway instead of risking further stalls and possible related crashes and injuries.

"If we let normal traffic go through, we'd have stalled vehicles all over the place," he said.

But the closure created a traffic jam for much of Saturday, with cars backed up for miles. And this wasn't the only road dealing with the downpour, rainwater also flooded sections of Hwy. 10, Hwy. 280 and McKnight Road near Hwy. 36.

"There were several in each area that needed to be towed out. No crashes involved in either one of those incidents though," Klawiter said.

In addition to the flooded roads, the downpour also soaked nearby neighborhoods and parks.

"To my amazement, the park was already flooded and the walking paths were waterfalls. And you could hear the water roaring almost like it was Niagara Falls," said Randy Krongard about Hansen Park in New Brighton.

Krongard awoke to the storm early this morning, and decided to check out the damage. He discovered flooded roads, yards and fields.

"I've never seen this much water in here," he said.

Troopers with the Minnesota State Patrol warn drivers that if they approach a large pool of water of an unknown depth to either stop or turn around.

"I would suggest not crossing the road at all. We had four feet of water in some places, your vehicle is not going to make it through that," Klawiter said.

Source: The Associated Press