MOTORISTS were left facing traffic chaos after the A127 was shut for 12 hours.

One man was been taken to Romford’s Queen hospital after suffering serious injuries.

Some motorists were left facing queues for hours as police closed the busy carriageway during the height of morning rush-hour to deal with the aftermath of the crash.

The incident happened when a 49-year-old cyclist was riding along the Southend-bound track of the A127 near to Warley and junction 29 for the M25 when he collided with a white Ford Transit Van.

Police and paramedics raced to the scene and the man was taken to Queen’s hospital where he remains in a serious condition.

It is understood the van driver was not injured and no arrests were made in connection with the crash, which happened at just after 7.50am on Wednesday.

Following the crash police closed the road for five hours while they recovered the wreckage of the bike and probed the scene for clues as to what happened.

One motorist, Paul Gardener, 29, from Brentwood, who was travelling into work at Basildon said: “The road was just completely at a standstill.

“My journey on a good day normally takes around 30-minutes but it took me over an hour.

“It’s always sad when someone gets hurt in a crash, but unfortunately for those of us who are just trying to get to work it’s an absolute nightmare when they closed the road.”

Police are still investigating the cause of the crash and are appealing for witnesses to contact the Southern Road Policing Unit on 101 or 0300 3334444.