A broken-down vehicle heading eastbound between Junctions 3 and 4 caused one lane to be closed.
It led to delays extending to 30 minutes between Junctions 2 and 4 at 8.29am, which in turn led to congestion on the A36 southbound.
Westbound traffic also experienced severe delays due to ongoing roadworks, with vehicles moving at an average speed of 10mph.
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The broken-down vehicle was eventually cleared after rush hour, but delays extended past 10am.
At 8.38am, National Highways anticipated the incident would clear between 9.30am and 9.45am, with normal traffic conditions not expected until 10.15am and 10.30am.
At 8.18am, drivers were experiencing 10-minute delays between junctions with the A27 and the A3090.
The situation only began to ease after the broken-down vehicle was cleared from the eastbound carriageway, and normal conditions eventually returned by 10.40am.
