A 39-year-old man was struck by a vehicle while attempting to cross Interstate 35W in Bloomington during the Monday morning rush hour, prompting authorities to close the freeway for about 2 hours.

Motorists on northbound I-35W were diverted off the freeway at 90th Street and forced to use the off and on ramps to get around the scene as the State Patrol investigated, the Minnesota Department of Transportation said.

That led to a long traffic backup from just after 6 a.m. until the lanes reopened about 8 a.m. The southbound lanes were unaffected.

The victim was taken to HCMC with life-threatening injuries, the patrol said.

The driver of the Ford Explorer that hit the man was not seriously hurt, the patrol said.