Drivers are braced for Christmas frustration on the roads as the Operation Brock contraflow is to be deployed again.

The scheme will be brought in on the M20 between Maidstone and Ashford overnight on December 15 when the motorway will be completely closed.

It will be in place on a 13-mile section of the motorway between Junction 8 for Leeds Castle and Junction 9 at Ashford.

The contraflow along the London-bound section from Junction 9 to 8 will remain in place until December 22 - two lanes of the carriageway will operate in each direction with a temporary barrier dividing the road.

On December 15 and 22 - when it is implemented and withdrawn - there will be a full closure of the M20.

The coastbound carriageway between junctions 7 and 9 and the London-bound between junctions 9 and 8.

This is scheduled between 8pm and 5am on both nights, Sunday into Monday, but opened as soon as the work is done and diversions will be in place.

The move will allow lorries to be held on the coastbound carriageway if the queuing system on the A20 outside Dover, known as Dover TAP, fills up.

Kent County Council (KCC) says the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF) has agreed to deploy Brock as a precaution while cross-channel bookings appear busy in the run-up to Christmas.

The Port of Dover and Eurotunnel are both forecasting their peak tourist traveller numbers between December 19-21 with the majority of schools breaking up for the festive holidays.

The prospect of bad weather is also expected to cause delays.

Meanwhile, a permit scheme will once again be in place as lorries start to be filtered down to the port from the M20.

This means without a permit, truckers will not be granted entry to the Port of Dover, which significantly reduces the number of truckers attempting to jump the queue and avoid the restrictions.

In previous occasions the scheme has been implemented, lorries attempt to access the Port of Dover via the A2 and are turned around at Brenley Corner in Faversham.

The installation of Op Brock means freight vehicles heading to mainland Europe are legally required to follow the signed HGV routes to the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel, using the M20 and A20.

KMRF Operation Brock strategic lead, Simon Jones, said: "The indications from Eurotunnel and the Port of Dover are that we will see some really busy days in the run-up to Christmas, and we need to act on that intelligence and use all the facilities available to us, such as Operation Brock and TAP to minimise disruption.

“Our plan is to purely cover the peak period with the Brock implementation and if there are no further predicted issues, it will be removed again before Christmas.

“Brock, TAP and the Dover traffic management plan worked extremely well in keeping the roads moving during the summer holidays.

“We are acting to do the same and protect our communities, our businesses, and attractions. Of course, for some of them, this is the most important time of the year.

“Our priority is to ensure everyone is able to get to where they want to go safely and as quickly as possible and to enjoy the festive period.”

Ashford MP Sojan Joseph said: “I am very disappointed at this announcement by Kent County Council. I would have hoped that the Port of Dover would have been able to cope with the amount of traffic over the Christmas period without having to resort to emergency measures.

“I know what an inconvenience Operation Brock is for my constituents so I will continue to work with all the relevant agencies to find a workable solution for this issue.”

The controversial scheme was previously redeployed in March and then at the beginning of July ahead of the summer holidays.

Brock was put in place on July 11 for almost two months in a bid to combat the predicted high passenger numbers throughout the summer at the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel.

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