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Allowing lorries to use junction 10a of the M20 near Ashford earlier than planned will push back the entire construction schedule, it has emerged.
Highways England has come under pressure to partly open the £104 million project in time for the Brexit deadline on October 31 so the town can cope with new HMRC customs checks at the Waterbrook Park truckstop.
But the roads authority says opening the junction to HGVs will delay completion of the scheme as contractors will be 'land-locking' parts of the site.
In a letter to Ashford MP Damian Green, Highways England’s chief executive Jim O’ Sullivan said: “I am pleased to say we have developed a plan to have Junction 10a available to traffic by October 31.
“The work involves re-programming the project to enable the two 'coast-facing' sliproads and the new link road down to Ashford truckstop to be usable by the end of this month.
“This means that inbound HGVs travelling to HMRC's 'transit' facility and trucks leaving the 'turnback' site for the tunnel (having 'got ready') will be able to use the new junction.
"This will provide additional capacity for HGVs to Ashford truckstop.
“It should be noted that it does push back completion of the junction scheme as a whole.
KMTV examine how junction 10a work will 'transform' the M20
“This is because this prioritisation makes access to the remaining site across live traffic more difficult and logistics more complex, slowing down production.
“In effect it 'land locks' certain elements of the site.
“We will, however, fully open J10a to traffic by the end of December with the remaining work to complete the scheme being carried out in spring 2020.
“We are fully committed to this plan as are our contractors.”
Mr O’Sullivan was set to pay a visit to the site this week, promising to make "any interventions that may be necessary".
Earlier this year, Highways England said the junction would be open to all traffic in September, but revealed the scheme was delayed at a meeting last month.
