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A stretch of the A21 was closed in both directions near Sevenoaks after an injured man was spotted on the carriageway.
The road was shut between the M25 Junction 5 and the A225 at Morleys Roundabout while emergency services dealt with the incident.
Drivers were warned to expect delays as the route was closed in both directions, leaving some drivers trapped for up to five hours.
A force spokesman said: "Kent Police is attending the A21 Sevenoaks bypass following a report of an injured man in the carriageway.
"Officers were called to the scene at 4.10pm on Monday."
It was not until about 9.40pm that police confirmed one northbound lane had reopened, although a spokesman said the southbound side remained shut off.
The condition of the injured man was not revealed.
Frustration had mounted for motorists stuck in non-moving traffic.
One said hundreds of drivers, like herself, had been "stranded" in the closed stretch of the road.
Traffic did not move for hours and she said no attempt was made to get motorists off the road so they could continue their journeys.
She added that there was no sign of a police presence to advise on the situation.
JustAz tagged Kent Highways and Kent Police on Twitter and said: "Cannot believe that 1 lane can’t be cleared to have the traffic moving been here 2 hrs and it’s looking like going onto 3 hrs."
Responding to complaints, police tweeted: "Traffic was turned around where possible."
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