The women threw punches at each other and tossed items onto the road as they fought about 5 p.m. in the center lane of westbound Interstate Hwy. 694 near the Mississippi River and Hwy. 252 on the Brooklyn Park-Fridley border, the State Patrol said.

The altercation tied up traffic, and motorists attempted to drive around the scene until police arrived to break up the fight and clear the lanes.

It’s not clear what led to the scuffle. The women and a man were riding in the same vehicle.

Troopers arrived a short time later and arrested the women in middle of the freeway. They were taken to the Anoka County Jail, Lt. Mark Peterson of the State Patrol said. The man was not arrested.

“This was rather unusual,” Peterson said. “Obviously this is not the right way to handle this.”