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Ministers want to end Operation Brock misery for motorists on the M20 and are working on an ambitious new alternative to the hated 50mph contraflow.
A letter seen by KentOnline reveals the government has agreed to push forward with work on a long-term solution which will “reduce the need to queue HGVs” on the county’s roads.
The minister for the future of roads Lilian Greenwood says it would use “a combination of new digital technology and off-road sites to hold HGVs during disruption”.
However, the project remains in its very early stages, so the much-maligned Brock is set to remain the go-to option for Kent’s transport chiefs for the time being.
It is implemented between junction 9 at Ashford and junction 8 at Maidstone in an attempt to avoid cross-Channel traffic clogging up local roads when there are delays at the border.
Lorries heading to the continent queue on the coastbound side, with the London-bound carriageway operating as a contraflow with narrow lanes and a 50mph limit.
But the system has been described as a “massive inconvenience” for residents, and Kent MPs have questioned whether it is necessary to put it in place during every school holiday.
The minister’s letter was sent in response to Faversham and Mid Kent MP Helen Whately. The Conservative had queried whether the Department for Transport remained committed to investing £45 million towards redeveloping the Port of Dover, awarded by the previous government two years ago.
Ms Greenwood said the government is “aiming to support” the project, which will “significantly increase port capacity and thereby reduce traffic disruption in Kent”.
In the letter, the minister also recognises that the current M20 contraflow system “has a significant impact on local communities”.
She added: “As such, building on the work started under the previous government, we are continuing to explore potential long-term alternatives to Operation Brock that will reduce the need to queue HGVs on the road network in Kent.
“I have reviewed the previous policy proposals put forward, and have agreed for work to progress on a system that utilises a combination of new digital technology and off-road sites to hold HGVs during disruption.”
Talks have already been held with “potential suppliers” on developing the technology, the letter says.
But Ms Greenwood added: “A solution such as this, however, will be a long-term project that takes time to deliver and is dependent on the outcome of the [government’s] Spending Review.”
The minister also confirms the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) checks will be rolled out in phases, as exclusively revealed by KentOnline earlier this week.
There will be an introduction period of 170 days and an initial eight months where officials will be granted flexibility to suspend the system entirely in the event of significant congestion.
The letter says the government is “continuing to look at a range of possible contingency options to avoid disruption on Kent’s roads, including exploring the use of off-road pre-departure sites for passenger traffic” once EES is implemented.
Ms Whateley says she will be “fighting hard” to ensure the Port of Dover receives the £45 million grant as the “pledge is only provisional”.
She told KentOnline: “It should mitigate disruption at the Channel ports, something which usually means one thing for people in Kent: Operation Brock on the M20.
“It turns the motorway into a lorry park and puts huge pressure across the road network.
“Blocking up our roads isn’t fair on local residents or businesses. So I’m pleased to see the government paying attention to Dover’s impact on Kent.”
Ashford MP Sojan Joseph admitted the M20 contraflow has been a “massive inconvenience” for his constituents for a long time, including over the recent Christmas period.
The Labour representative added: “The recognition that we need to move towards a strategy which includes digital technology in order to modernise and innovate to see an end to the chaos of Operation Brock shows that we finally have a government who are taking this issue seriously."
A Department for Transport spokesperson said the government continues to work with Kent County Council and others on ways to better manage local traffic in Kent, particularly near the border.
They added: “We hope to provide grant funding to support a major redevelopment of the Port of Dover’s eastern docks, creating additional border and holding and processing capacity to help alleviate congestion.
“This is a long-term project and we will confirm full details in due course.”
Folkestone and Hythe MP Tony Vaughan and Dover and Deal MP Mike Tapp did not respond when approached by KentOnline.