A six-vehicle crash on the Westlink yesterday left traffic in parts of Belfast at a standstill.
Three people were injured when a car, two lorries and a number of vans collided on the country-bound lane in the early hours of the morning.
The route was closed between York Street and Divis Street for several hours leading to major disruption to rush hour traffic.
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) said three accident and emergency crews and a doctor were sent to the scene of the crash, which happened at around 4am.
Paramedics took the three injured people to Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital, where they remained in a stable condition yesterday.
A PSNI spokesman said one man suffered serious leg injuries during the crash.
But hours later and the usually busy Westlink remained closed to facilitate the recovery operation, leading to severe delays across many parts of the city.
There was major congestion for motorists travelling into the city from the M2 direction, which at one stage saw traffic stretch back as far as Templepatrick in Co Antrim.
The M3 and Sydenham bypass were also heavily congested from the east of the city, while routes from north Belfast faced severe traffic gridlock as motorists tried to find alternative routes.
The Westlink re-opened again at around 8am.
