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Operation Brock to end on M20 this weekend between Ashford and Maidstone

By: Joe Harbert jharbert@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 16:39, 28 August 2024

Updated: 22:47, 28 August 2024

Operation Brock is to be stood down this weekend almost two months after returning to the M20.

The controversial scheme was redeployed at the beginning of July ahead of the summer holidays.

Operation Brock has been in place on M20 between Junctions 8 and 9 since July 11

The system has meant the London-bound carriageway has acted as a contraflow with narrow lanes and a 50mph limit.

It sees lorries heading to the continent queue on the coastbound side between Junction 8 for Leeds Castle and 9 for Ashford.

This year, Brock was put in place in a bid to combat the predicted high passenger numbers throughout the summer at the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel.

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Spectators heading to the Olympic Games in Paris were also sighted as a reason to put the hated system back in place.

This was alongside the addition of new permits being added to stop lorry drivers “rat running” and dodging queues.

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Drivers face narrow lanes and a 50mph limit in the Operation Brock contraflow

However, the hated scheme is to be deactivated on Sunday (September 1).

National Highways says the M20 will be closed from 9pm until 6am on Monday (September 2) to allow its barriers to be safely removed.

It will affect drivers using Junction 9 to Junction 8 of the London-bound carriageway and Junction 7 to Junction 9 of the coastbound route.

The motorway watchdog says signed diversion routes will be put in place on the A20 to help motorists while the route is out-of-bounds.

Once reopen, both carriageways will return to three lanes with the national speed limit back in place.

Speaking prior to Brock’s return, Kent and Medway Resilience Forum’s Simon Jones says roads heading through Dover continue to remain “extremely fragile”.

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