A boat caused traffic misery for motorists following a crash on the M27.
The vessel was being towed on a trailer by a van when it came loose between Junction 5 and Junction 7 of the M27 westbound.
It blocked the outside lane of the carriageway for the majority of Wednesday morning.
The knock-on effect of the crash saw people stuck in queues of traffic in the city in a bid to avoid the crash scene.
Three of the four lanes of the M27 were closed to drivers as police and recovery vehicles dealt with the incident.
Six miles of congestion tailed back as a result.
But motorists within the city were also impacted as people tried to avoid the heavy delays.
READ MORE: All lanes cleared after boat lands on M27 during crash - live updates
The A27 was particularly affected by the M27 lane closures, with the surrounding areas also subject to large queues of traffic.
Scores of people were caught in the delays on and off the motorway.
There was significant congestion in Swaythling and West End, with traffic in Bitterne also affected.
One person said it was ‘gridlocked the whole east side of the city’ following the crash.
All lanes of the M27 westbound reopened before 10.30am.
Police officers and recovery vehicles were called to the scene after 6am.
Hampshire Constabulary confirmed no-one was injured in the crash.
A spokesperson said: “We were called out this (Wednesday) morning following a two-vehicle collision involving a van and a boat on a trailer between junction seven (Hedge End) and junction five (Eastleigh) of the M27 Westbound.
“No injuries have been reported.
“Efforts are ongoing to recover both vehicles and the boat.”
In an online post, inspector Matt Moss said: “I just wanted to let anyone planning on travelling westbound on the M27 this morning between junctions seven and five (Hedge End - Eastleigh) that we are awaiting recovery following a collision involving a boat.
“Hence there could be some minor delays whilst we await recovery (or the tide to rise high enough).”
He later advised people to plan ahead and to allow for extra time.
He said: “Further help recovering this is on the way to try and get the motorway fully reopened as soon as possible.
"We know how busy traffic in the surrounding area is - please allow extra time for your journey."
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