Drivers were stuck in long queues after three lanes were closed on the M25 because of a protest held by a fathers' rights activist dressed as Batman.
A Fathers 4 Justice campaigner dressed as Batman caused lengthy queues on the M25 around London before being arrested just before the evening rush.
Geoffrey Hibbert, 48, of Farnborough in Hampshire, was perched on a gantry at junction 14 near Heathrow airport.
Geoffrey Hibbert, 48, of Farnborough in Hampshire, spent seven hours on a gantry near Heathrow Airport.
The Fathers 4 Justice campaigner was removed from the gantry just before the afternoon rush hour.
He came down from his perch at Junction 14 on the road to Terminal 5 just after 1600 BST.
Traffic on the motorway running anti-clockwise was disrupted for about seven hours.
Police said despite the massive traffic disruption on the motorway, the man had the right to protest peacefully.
A Highways Agency spokeswoman said the man was brought down at around 1600 BST and that all lanes are now open.
A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said that despite queues that stretched for 19km on the M25 and 32km on the M4, the decision to allow the man to stay on the gantry all day was made by the senior officer at the scene.
'Absolutely stationary'
"He has the right to protest peacefully. It is entirely a matter for the senior officer," she said.
The earlier closure of the carriageway resulted in 15-mile tailbacks, which affected traffic bound for Heathrow Terminals 4 and 5.
Police had initially said the protest caused no tailbacks or lane closures.
'Protest all day'
A Highway Agency spokesman said: "We had delays at one point of 94 minutes and we did our utmost to get the message out to the public to get people to take alternate routes."
The agency received permission from police to reopen two of four lanes on the motorway a couple of hours after the protest began shortly after 0800 BST.
Speaking by mobile telephone, Mr Hibbert told the BBC: "I'm doing this for my daughter. I'll do my protest all day."
Speaking by mobile telephone, Mr Hibbert told the BBC: "I'm doing this for my daughter. I'll do my protest all day."
Chris Connor, from Buckinghamshire, was caught in the traffic jam as he travelled from Fulham, west London, to Woking in Surrey.
Fathers 4 Justice protesters have staged a series of high-profile stunts across the UK, normally involving clambering on to a landmark dressed as superheroes such as Batman, Spiderman or Superman.
"I was absolutely stationary for 20 to 25 minutes," he said.
"People were walking around outside their cars on the motorway."
Fathers' protesters have staged a series of high-profile stunts across the UK, normally involving clambering on to a landmark dressed as superheroes such as Batman, Spiderman or Superman.
They are calling for more rights for fathers affected by issues involving access to their children after divorce.
They are calling for more rights for fathers affected by issues involving access to their children after divorce.
Were you on the motorway this morning? How did the protest affect your journey?
