Motorists faced the journey from hell as major roadworks caused gridlock.

Journeys that normally took 20 minutes lasted over an hour following the closure of Oxford's A34 northbound between the Peartree roundabout and the Botley Interchange.

Last night's rush-hour saw much of Oxford's ring road choked with traffic, while routes out of the city via Banbury and Woodstock roads were also jammed.

The chaos was worsened by flooding under the railway bridge in Botley Road, where a fire engine was used to pump out the water.

Ambulance staff are monitoring the situation to check if the delays increased journey times to hospital.

Among the vehicles affected by the chaos was a convoy carrying radioactive material, which became marooned in an Oxfordshire village.

It was travelling to RAF Brize Norton from the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston, near Reading, but failed to beat the rush-hour gridlock. After leaving the M4 and heading for Wantage on the A338, the convoy, escorted by Military Police, got snarled up on the A415 at Standlake in traffic diverted from the A34.

Irene Gill, Oxford co-ordinator for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said: "These convoys travel much too quickly and are very dangerous. Potentially there would be a disaster of enormous proportions were it to crash." A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: "The problems are absolutely everywhere and people are looking for short-cuts."

Meanwhile, people in Farmoor, near Oxford, complained of being trapped in their own village by the sheer volume of traffic.

Rod Sharp, 55, of Meadow Close, Farmoor, said: "It is like being a prisoner here at the moment. All the traffic that cannot use the A34 seems to be using alternative routes, especially the Eynsham Road through Farmoor.

The northbound dual carriageway of the A34 will be closed for the next five weeks for resurfacing and bridge repair work. Drivers going northbound are asked to leave the road at Hinksey Hill to follow diversions to the east and north of Oxford.

The travel chaos extended on to Rail services following a landslide in Bicester.

One track was blocked after the embankment collapsed three miles South of Bicester North Station after heavy rain in the area yesterday. (MON)

Railtrack engineers are working on the site but the track could be closed for up to two weeks.

A Railtrack spokesman said: "They are looking at the best way to rebuild the embankment given that everything is waterlogged at the moment."

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