The speed limit could be increased along parts of the M20 currently undergoing roadworks in a bid to reduce congestion and make the stretch safer.

That is according to John Kerner, a project director at Highways England, during a meeting of Maidstone’s Joint Transportation Board last week.

Work to upgrade six-and-a-half miles of the road between junction three for West Malling and five for Aylesford to a smart motorway began last summer.

The speed limit is currently 50mph but this could be raised to 60mph, Mr Kerner told councillors.

The £92 million project has been blighted by frequent crashes over recent months, and concerns have also been raised about congestion caused by trucks overtaking one another in the roadworks section - an issue many fear will worsen after Brexit if there are problems when lorries head to the ports.

Operation Brock will see a contraflow system installed between junctions eight and nine of the motorway to allow traffic to be able to travel both ways on the same carriageway.

Cllr Rob Bird (Lib Dem) told Mr Kerner, something needed to be done to tackle the issue of slow overtaking.

“Time and time again this happens,” he said. “If you allow this to happen with Operation Brock in place, everybody is going to get really, really hacked off.

“If you allow this to happen all the way up Detling Hill, you can imagine the consequences, you’ll have tailbacks going well beyond junction seven.”

Mr Kerner replied: “There is a range of work going on across Highways England to increase, where we can through road works, the speed limit to 60mph.

“That is to ensure that we can avoid the situation where HGVs that are regulated to 56mph trying to overtake each other inappropriately doesn’t cause added congestion, or interfere with the safe operation of the highways.”