By Eric King-
Three separate accidents on the A13 caused a massive traffic jam that kept motorists on the spot for about three hours.
The crashes which occurred around 5.30 pm were all unconnected, and brought the entire motorway to a standstill, all the way as far back as Rainham.
Traffic was moving on only one lane, as angry motorists were stuck in their cars in the heat. A car and a lorry were said to have been involved in one of the crashes, with one motorist in hospital because of it.
The A13 is a fast moving motorway with motorists often driving at up to 85 m.p.h. It was prone to massive traffic jams on many occasions during peak hours, but this one was particularly bad.
It wasn’t until about 8.30 pm before the situation abated, and cars started moving at a more normal pace.
With motorists driving above 120 mph, the three collisions bring special attention to the need for motorists to drive with great care, especially on the motorway.
No fatalities were reported as resulting from the accidents, but disruptions to the evenings of many motorists was the consequence of these crashes.
CLOSED
Both westbound and eastbound off slips were closed on both Monday and Tuesday, leaving limited space for multiple cars to use in the daily race of motorists to their destination.
Traffic between lakeside and the ferry lane inter change was very slow, though all lanes re-opened by 6.45 pm, with traffic moving slowly.
Traffic congestion is an uncomfortable feeling that can worsen stress for those already stressed, and is particularly discomforting during a hot summer like this.