Crashes causing major delays during snowy Wednesday commute

Jan. 29—Police were reporting multiple crashes Wednesday morning as snow blanketed the state.

A section of Broadway in South Portland is closed because of a crash, causing significant traffic delays across the city. The backups come in the middle of a morning commute already slowed by slippery, snow-covered roads.

There were also several crashes on Interstate 95, including one that blocked the southbound lanes in Sidney.

South Portland police say the “significant” crash happened on Broadway at Lincoln Street but did not immediately say if anyone was injured or if the weather contributed to the crash.

Police closed Broadway in South Portland from Cash Corner to Lincoln until further notice. Wires are down in the roadway and fire crews are actively working at the scene, police said. The traffic lights at the Evans Street intersection are also out because of the crash.

At 9:20 a.m., traffic on Broadway from the Casco Bay Bridge to Cash Corner was significantly backed up.

City officials expect the traffic impacts to continue for several hours while Central Maine Power workers replace a damaged pole.

Maine State Police say a tractor-trailer crashed at mile 117 on I-95, blocking the southbound lanes. The highway is shut down at mile marker 120 in Sidney, and police were advising people to take a different route to avoid delays.

Traffic was also delayed on the Maine Turnpike between Exit 63 in Gray and Exit 53 in Falmouth because of a crash involving multiple vehicles at mile 57 in Cumberland, according to an alert from the Maine Turnpike Authority at 8:40 a.m. Both lanes were blocked, causing stopped and slow moving traffic.

The snow Wednesday morning prompted many school districts across southern Maine to delay the start of classes by two hours.

This story will be updated.

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