Operation Brock is set to return to the M20 this week – bringing back speed restrictions over the summer holiday.

Motorists are currently able to use all three lanes and drive at 70mph on part of the motorway after more than 18 months of roadworks – but that freedom will only last until Friday, when the dreaded contraflow system will be reintroduced.

The Kent Resilience Forum (KRF) says the system is being deployed to prepare for “tens of thousands” of tourists travelling through the county to get to Europe.

A KRF spokesperson says the summer will see “the highest passenger numbers since before the pandemic booked to cross the channel from Dover and trains through Le Shuttle” through July and August.

The reinstatement of Brock will see both carriageways closed overnight between Junction 8 for Maidstone and Junction 9 for Ashford at points this week.

The coastbound carriageway will shut between the junctions from 9pm tomorrow (Tuesday) until 8am Wednesday.

The London-bound carriageway will then be shut between the same junctions from 8pm Thursday until 6am Friday, alongside the coastbound carriageway between Junction 9 and Junction 7.

The news comes as an 18-month, £20m project to widen the central reservation is set to finally finish.

In order to protect the workforce, the barrier was set up in the middle of the London-bound carriageway and drivers were restricted to just 50mph.

The works mean the barrier used to create the Op Brock contraflow can be stored in the central reservation rather than the hard shoulder.

Reacting to the news, Kent County Councillor Paul Bartlett (Con) said Kent residents “will have to live with Brock until a long-term solution is found to the lack of capacity across the short straights”.

“Put simply, during periods of high numbers of car passengers there is not enough room at Dover and Eurotunnel together for freight,” he added.

“Greater capacity is unlikely but what could, and should, be done is a cap on the number of cars that can use Dover at any one time; the "turn up and go" system is not tenable and just not fair on residents because of the disruption they cause.

“The good news is that with work on the barrier complete the deployment of Brock should be swift and efficient.....what could possibly go wrong!”

KRF Strategic Planning Lead Simon Jones, said: “The decision to deploy Operation Brock is never taken lightly and is based on data and intelligence that clearly shows there is a potential risk of disruption on routes to the Port of Dover and Le Shuttle.

“Kent’s Short Straits gateways provide a critical national role for international trade and tourism as the shortest crossing to mainland Europe for lorries and holidaymakers.

“Both Port of Dover and Le Shuttle are reporting high booking numbers through July and August, with an increase in tourist traffic from the weekend of 15/16 July, as tens of thousands of passengers will set off to Europe during the school holiday season.

“When we also take into consideration everyday freight and local traffic, combined with high numbers of tourists heading to our beaches and attractions, we know how busy the roads in Kent will be.

“Brock is there to ease congestion and to make sure that we can manage freight bound for Europe, therefore protecting the local road network, and allowing people to reach their destination and go about their business with the minimum disruption possible.

“As Strategic Lead for the KRF, I am absolutely committed to keeping the deployment of the barrier under constant review over the coming weeks and removing it as soon as possible.

“I would like to thank everyone who drives along this stretch of the M20 through Kent for their patience during this busy summer getaway, and also urge hauliers to follow the signs on the M20 and stick to the official route.”