NATIONAL Highways is advising drivers travelling southbound on the M5 near Exeter to be aware of potential delays during the Christmas getaway.

A half-mile section of lane one of the southbound carriageway between junctions 30 and 31 has been closed for safety reasons due to a carriageway defect.

The fractured carriageway bridge joint was detected by a monitoring system in operation on the Exe Viaduct, which carries the M5 over the River Exe, and will require specialist repair work early in the new year.

It is anticipated to cause slight 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.

Further information is available from National Highways by visiting the website at: www.trafficengland.com  and Twitter updates are also available at: @HighwaysSWEST .

For urgent real-time assistance, National Highways 24/7 contact centre team is able to provide up-to-the minute information on 0300 123 5000.