The contraflow system will be installed between junctions 8 and 9 on the evening of Monday 13 July. The M20 is expected to reopen under the new arrangement on Tuesday 14 July, with the barrier remaining in place until Monday 24 August.
A reduced speed limit will apply between Maidstone and Ashford. All HGVs heading for the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel must follow signs and join Operation Brock at junction 8.
Other coastbound traffic, including local freight and cars travelling to the Continent, will be directed into the contraflow on the London-bound carriageway. Permitting will also be used to keep international freight on the M20 and A20.
The Kent and Medway Resilience Forum said the system was being deployed to limit disruption to local communities during the expected increase in summer traffic. Lydden Hill Race Circuit will also be available as a last-resort holding site for passenger vehicles during a major disruption.
Dover warns EES queues could trap HGVs
This year’s deployment comes after the Port of Dover warned that congestion caused by the EU Entry/Exit System could spill onto freight routes and trap HGVs behind holiday traffic.
Port chief executive Doug Bannister said delays reached around four and a half hours during the May half-term after only a few hours of EES processing. Dover handled about 8,500 tourist vehicles that day, while peak summer volumes can exceed 12,000.
The port has warned that its £40 million EES processing facility cannot yet be used as intended because the supporting technology is not fully operational. It has called for checks to be suspended during the summer or relaxed before queues begin to build.
Operation Brock is intended to contain and manage freight queues when cross-Channel services are disrupted. It does not prevent delays, meaning HGV drivers could still face long waits if passenger traffic backs up around Dover and Folkestone.
National Highways is advising drivers to check their routes, allow additional time and follow roadside signs rather than satellite-navigation instructions once the contraflow is operating.
