Catalan separatists continued to block the highway near the city of Girona, leaving thousands of cars and trucks stranded.
Demonstrations began on Tuesday when protesters sat down on the highway and blocked it, then set up barricades on Wednesday morning.
After a few hours, the police arrived and dispersed the protesters, who in the meantime set some barricades on fire.
Local civil services took care of people stuck in their cars during the night. About 80 people were taken to a nearby sports center to rest for a few hours.
The protest was sparked by separatists' anger over the sentences of Catalan politicians who were convicted of trying to declare independence for Catalonia in 2017.
Dissatisfaction was fueled by the national elections held in Spain on Sunday.
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