Kent drivers warned Operation Brock will be deployed again
The traffic holding system sees lorries heading to Dover queue on one side of the M20
Drivers in Kent can expect Operation Brock to be deployed once again next week.
The traffic-holding system sees lorries heading to Dover queue on one side of the M20, with the other carriageway operating as a contraflow.
The new permit system is aimed at preventing freight drivers from dodging the queues.
Councillors say the system needs to be used ahead of an “extremely busy period” with holidaymakers and the Olympic Games in Paris.
With extremely busy travel weekends predicted from the 13th July right through to the middle of August, the contraflow at the heart of the Brock traffic management scheme will be reinstated on the M20 overnight on Wednesday 10 July.
The Kent & Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF) is urging people to plan ahead if they are travelling through the county during the peak summer months, including booking ahead and preparing for any queues.
It’s also hoped the new permit system will reduce the need for sudden closures of the A20 Roundhill Tunnels at Folkestone and help keep local roads flowing more freely in busy periods.
Strategic Lead of the KMRF, Simon Jones, said:
“We are doing everything we can to find more effective ways to manage traffic heading through Kent to cross the channel, as we know that the impact of severe disruption on local communities and in Dover itself can really affect people’s lives and businesses.
“One thing that could help is stepping up measures to ensure that freight drivers stick to the plan, and cannot circumnavigate the queues. This only adds to congestion, particularly in the centre of Dover.
“However, these freight permits are not a ‘fix all’ solution. There is no doubt that, in busy periods, the situation on the roads heading through Dover remains extremely fragile. With a busy summer ahead, and the introduction of EES checks later this year, we are doing everything we can to prevent further disruption.”
As part of the new measures, permits would be issued to Port of Dover bound freight drivers at the front of the Operation Brock queue.
The message from KMRF to freight drivers is ‘No permit – No Access to Port of Dover.’
Traffic flows will be continually monitored throughout the holiday period and Operation Brock will be removed as soon as possible, once the impact of disruption has reduced.