A12 and A120 traffic chaos hits Colchester commuters again

The first incident unfolded before 6am on Tuesday morning when a car on the A12 caught fire, causing Essex Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS) to attend between Junction 27, Spring Lane and Junction 28, Colchester North.

A spokesman for ECFRS confirmed they received the call-out at 5.39am and put the fire out about 40 minutes later.

He said: “Firefighters were called to an incident on A12 between Junction 27 and Junction 28 at 5.39am this morning. 

Disruption – a picture shows the queues forming as a car is loaded onto a truck (Image: Dave Priestnall)

“Crews from Colchester and Coggeshall were sent.

"On arrival, they confirmed it was one vehicle 100 per cent alight. 

“Firefighters used breathing apparatus and hose reel jets to extinguish the fire by 6.17am.”

Worse was to come an hour later, however, when a three-car collision prompted another emergency call-out and the police holding traffic on the A120 from about 7am.

The road not fully reopened for a further three hours until after 10am until debris was removed. 

Motorists complained of a 40-minute delay to their journeys with National Highways notifying the public via social media of “moderate” delays.

Steve Foster wrote on X: “Since when has 14 miles in over an hour been a moderate delay? I still haven’t reached the A12 yet.”

Singed – the fire service was called at 5.39am after a car caught fire on the A12 (Image: Public)

A spokesman for Essex Police confirmed no serious injuries had been reported.

He said: “We were called shortly before 6.56am to reports of a collision on the A120 at Ardleigh involving three vehicles.

“No serious injuries were reported.

“Officers attended and put a road closure in place while the incident was cleared.

“The road was fully reopened by 10.10am.”

It is the second week in a row traffic problems have hit commuters around Colchester, with the A12 having been shut for several hours last Tuesday.