The southbound carriageway of the A12 was closed near Witham after a four car pile up.
Emergency crews were called at 12.40pm and paramedics treated two injured women.
It was thought one of the cars was smoking but fire crews found no signs of fire and no-one was trapped.
The cars were a silver Ford Ka, a silver Vauxhall Passat, a silver Ford Mondeo and a grey Ford Mondeo.
The carriageway was closed for a short time as the cars were removed.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here