An “increasing number” of drivers are “choosing to ignore” the official diversion route around the M25 closure, highways bosses have warned.

As with March’s closure, National Highways announced that the motorway opened ahead of schedule after work to install a new gantry and a new gyratory bridge between junctions 9 and 10 of the motorway was completed.

The seven-mile stretch, through Surrey, closed at 9pm on Friday and re-opened this morning, says Sky News.

A 19-mile diversion route, which sent vehicles through parts of Surrey and Greater London, was in place during the closure. However, National Highways said that some drivers did not stick to the route and instead followed another route specified for freight vehicles.

This weekend’s closure was the second of five planned closures of the motorway, and comes after a section between junctions 10 and 11 was shut in March.

On that occasion, fears diversion routes would become overwhelmed proved unfounded, as traffic levels were more than two-thirds lower than normal after a widespread awareness campaign.