National Highways is advising drivers travelling southbound from Somerset on the M5 to be aware of delays during the New Year holiday period. A half-mile section of lane 1 of the southbound carriageway between junctions 30 and 31 near Exeter has been closed for safety reasons due to a bridge defect.

The fractured bridge expansion joint plate was detected by a monitoring system in operation on the Exe viaduct, carrying the M5 over the River Exe, and will require specialist repair work early in the new year.

The lane closure is causing significant delays during peak travel times and in the meantime, National Highways is advising drivers to plan ahead and allow a little extra time for their journeys.

Terry Robinson, National Highways’ Engineering Manager for the South West, said: “The bridge joint requires specialist contractors and materials to repair and given the safety critical nature of the defect, we have to keep the lane closure in place to protect the travelling public, prevent vehicle damage and protect the structure against further damage.

“We’re working to organise the repair as quickly as possible, we apologise for any inconvenience and thank drivers for their patience. In the meantime we ask people to be aware of delays, particularly around peak times, and to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys between junctions 29 and 31.”