Two junctions closed to traffic on the M20 have now reopened, and the Operation Brock contraflow will be back in force from tonight, National Highways has announced.

Junction 10a for Ashford, and 11 for Hythe, on the coastbound M20 can once again be used by motorists wanting to reach Dover.

They have been closed since last Wednesday as part of 'Brock Zero' which saw the motorway closed between Junction 8 for Leeds Castle and Junction 11 for Hythe, so thousands of lorries could line more than 20 miles of the motorway.

As well as opening those junctions, bosses at National Highways are also looking to re-introduce the Operation Brock contraflow lanes between Junction 8 for Maidstone and Junction 9 for Ashford on the M20 tonight.

This will mean that tourist, local traffic and non-EU bound freight can once again use the M20 through the contraflow lanes.

The decision was taken to reduce threat of disruption to services across the English Channel and has been endorsed by the Kent Resilience Forum.

National Highways, head of operational integration, Nicky Potts said: “Operation Brock has given the people of Kent a scalable set of measures that helps them to live, work and travel around the county when there is disruption to services across the English Channel.

"Scaling it back now is a sensible response to the changing outlook and restores capacity on the motorway in time for the weekend.

"We are grateful to drivers and residents in Kent for their patience during this time.”

The trouble Kent has experienced over the past few weeks has been blamed on the suspension of P&O services, bad weather, a damaged DFDS fleet, Easter traffic and IT issues.

Bosses at National Highways were confident their traffic management plan on the M20 would only cause "minimal disruption".

But the introduction of Operation Brock and Brock Zero - and lorry drivers' attempts to avoid it - resulted in traffic queuing for miles on both the M20 and M2 at the beginning of the month.

To avoid the motorway, drivers were instead asked to take a diversion route from Junction 8 and down the A20 to Ashford.

They were then taken on a six mile diversion through Ashford along the B2229, the A2042 and the A2070 before getting to the A20 near Junction 10a and eventually rejoining the motorway at Junction 11.

Residents who live along the diversion route in Repton Park in Ashford say lorries navigating the A20 have caused constant noise at night and clogs up the Drovers Roundabout down to the junction for Orchard Heights, making it difficult to get off the estate.

The diversion route has also been taking drivers through Sellindge on the A20, one of the villages that bears the brunt of traffic whenever there are delays to Channel crossings.

Residents say they are used to the disruption now but it has not been this bad since Operation Stack.

Despite obvious troubles, the county's senior highways manager Toby Howe defended Brock – stating the traffic management plan has "proved its worth".