NATIONAL Highways has apologised for its overrunning roadworks and is hoping to reopen the closed stretch of the A12 within the next hour.

Motorists across Colchester have been facing traffic chaos this morning, September 17, due to the A12 Southbound being closed.

It was reported earlier this morning that traffic was building from Junction 26 A114 Eight Ash Green, Tollgate interchange to Junction 29, Crown Interchange.

National Highways works were taking place last night along the A12 for its junction 25 Marks Tey to junction 26 Stanway concrete roads reconstruction scheme.

The closure was scheduled from 8pm and was due to reopen at 6am this morning—but the roadworks have overrun, causing severe delays across the city.

A spokesman for National Highways has apologised for the works overrunning and the organisation is working hard to get the road reopened within the next hour.

They said: “We apologise for overrunning roadworks on the southbound A12 this morning between Stanway Junction 26 and Marks Tey Junction 25.

“Our focus is now working as hard as we can to get this road reopened as soon as possible.

"We expect that to be in the next hour and we will provide an update when the roadworks have been lifted.   

“We appreciate the impact this has on people who rely on this section of road and we are sorry for the disruption this has caused.

“An element of the road surface that was laid overnight had not dried sufficiently this morning to carry traffic when the road was originally scheduled to reopen at 6am which led to the delays.”