FRANCONIA, N.H. (AP) – Freezing rain forced officials to close the highway through Franconia Notch early Wednesday to allow road crews to spread salt and sand.

Transportation Department spokesman Bill Boynton said highway crews had to back through the notch, riding on their own layer of salt and sand, to make the road safe. Traffic was held up for about a half hour. He said crews at the scene reported some minor accidents in the notch.

Elsewhere in the North Country, the slippery roads apparently contributed to two school bus accidents.

In Gorham, Police Chief P.J. Cyr said a bus headed to Gorham Middle School skidded over the center line on a curve on Route 16, hitting an oncoming car head-on. The car driver and bus driver suffered minor injuries. The only child on the bus was not hurt.

Officials say another school bus slid off a road in Whitefield, with no injuries.