Busy major motorway used by thousands of drivers every day to SHUT tomorrow – check your route
A BUSY major motorway used by thousands of drivers every day is set to shut tomorrow – check your route.
The controversial Operation Brock contraflow will return ahead of the spring bank holiday weekend.
National Highways has confirmed that the M20 motorway will be closed between Maidstone and Ashford overnight on Wednesday from 8pm so Operation Brock can be deployed.
This is at the request of the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum as higher passenger numbers are anticipated at the county’s ports over the bank holiday weekend.
The London-bound carriageway will shut between Junction 9 and Junction 8 from 8pm to 6am, while at the same time the coastbound carriageway will close between Junctions 7 and 9.
Coastbound traffic will be diverted via the A249, M2, A2, and A20, as London-bound journeys are diverted via the A20, A2, M2 and A229.
These diversions will be fully signed and drivers have been advised to follow these signs over their own SatNav instructions.
When the M20 re-opens on Thursday morning, Operation Brock will be in place and all HGV traffic headed to the Port of Dover or the Eurotunnel must follow the signs to join Operation Brock at Junction 8 for Leeds Castle and Maidstone Services.
Meanwhile, all other coast-bound traffic, including local freight and cars headed to Europe, should follow the signs and cross over to enter the contraflow on the M20 London-bound carriageway.
All traffic that is travelling through the contraflow must adhere to a 50mph speed limit and, while Brock is in effect, the Junction 8 coast-bound slip road will be closed to all traffic.
Those who are planning to head to the Eurotunnel or the port should plan their journeys ahead and check for any updates before heading out.
The system has been described as a “massive inconvenience” for residents, and Kent MPs have questioned whether it is necessary to put it in place during every school holiday.
This will mark the second time that Operation Brock has been deployed in 2025, having been reintroduced ahead of the Easter half term in April.
The Kent and Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF) said the decision was “not taken lightly” and was made to help reduce delays at the Port of Dover and in the surrounding areas during the busy period.
There is also a possibility that the contraflow could be reinstated for the summer holidays as it was in 2024 reports KentLiveNews.
It is yet to be confirmed whether or not the contraflow will make a return for summer 2025, and Kent County Council has said that the KMRF will “take a view on the traffic management needed over the summer months once more accurate data is available.”
However, the government is working on a permanent solution to the problem of congestion at the Port of Dover backing up traffic deep into Kent.
The new system would use a combination of new digital technology and off-road sites to hold HGVs during disruption, but is still in the early planning stages.
Meanwhile, a major link road of the M5 is set to shut for three months, sparking fury from local businesses.
The route connects to Junction 26 of the M5 in Somerset, and will be completely closed from Friday, June 16. until Tuesday, September 16, while £5.7million of upgrade works are carried out.