A MOTORCYCLIST is fighting for his life in hospital after a serious two-vehicle crash closed a major Hampshire road for nearly six hours.

The rider, believed to be a man in his 50s, was airlifted to Southampton General Hospital with life-threatening injuries after the ‘serious collision’ with another vehicle on the A27, near Portsmouth.

Police and ambulance crews raced to scene at around 12.10pm, as well the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance. Drivers were urged to avoid the area by officers as queues of more than three miles built up on the M27 yesterday afternoon after the road was closed between junction 12 of the M27 and the A27 Eastern Road junction.

A diversion was put in place via Havant Road in Cosham from Junction 12 to the A27 Havant bypass.

Debris on the road also caused significant delays on the westbound carriageway, closing all but one lane until 5.15pm. The eastbound carriageway reopened at 6pm.

A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary said: “We would once again like thank everyone for their patience.”