Updated 11am

Part of Regional Road in Santa Venera was closed to traffic on Monday morning, after a 22-year-old was seriously injured when he crashed into a wall.

The police told Times of Malta the man, from Naxxar, was driving a Mazda Demio. He crashed into a wall and other signs on the side of the road at around 3.30am.

Civil Protection Department officials helped pull him out of the wreckage and he was rushed to Mater Dei Hospital.

A police and a magisterial inquiry have been launched.

Motorists meanwhile reported long tailbacks as vehicles in the area were stuck in traffic for hours.

Commuters reported how the usual 10-minute trips from Żebbuġ to Qormi had stretched into two-hour commutes, while Mater Dei staff meant to clock in at 7am were still in traffic by 9am.

One reader who took the 6.50am bus from Birzebugia only arrived in Valletta nearly three hours later - at 9.40am.

The bus they were on broke down after two hours in traffic, and they had to change buses in Paola. 

The traffic chaos also caused Finance Minister Clyde Caruana to turn up late to a Chamber of Commerce business breakfast debate about education.

He said the commute took him two hours. 

The road was reopened late on Monday morning.