Operation Brock is being deployed in Kent today, Tuesday 1 April, with the M20 closing tonight for installation of the contraflow barrier ahead of Easter traffic.
The motorway is due to reopen on Wednesday 2 April with Brock in place, and the barrier is currently scheduled to be removed overnight on Tuesday 7 April, with normal traffic conditions returning on Wednesday 8 April.
Once the barrier is in place, all HGVs heading for the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel must follow signs to join Operation Brock at M20 junction 8. Drivers who try to bypass the signed route and use alternative roads can be intercepted, turned around and fined £300.
National Highways says the M20 will be closed from 8pm tonight, Tuesday 1 April, until 6am on Wednesday 2 April so the barrier can be installed. The overnight closure affects the London-bound carriageway from junction 9 to 8 and the coastbound carriageway from junction 7 to 9. Signed diversion routes will be in place, and drivers are being told to follow road signs rather than sat-nav instructions.
The contraflow is being deployed between junction 8 at Maidstone and junction 9 at Ashford because authorities expect high passenger numbers through Kent ports over the Easter period.
Port-bound HGVs must join Brock at junction 8, while all other coastbound traffic, including local freight and non-port traffic, must follow the signs and cross over into the contraflow on the London-bound carriageway. That means operators making deliveries in Kent, or returning to base in Kent, should not automatically follow the port-bound freight route.
The fines are not a side issue
Government guidance states that when Operation Brock is in force, HGVs travelling to Dover and Eurotunnel must use the signed routes only. Enforcement officials can stop vehicles attempting to use alternative roads, turn them around and issue a £300 fine. The same guidance also tells drivers to plan breaks and overnight rest before entering Kent to reduce the risk of running into drivers’ hours limits in the queue.
There is also a welfare warning for drivers. The government advises freight drivers travelling through Kent to make sure they have enough food and water in case border delays worsen.
