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More closures on the M20 motorway as Highways England plans further roadworks this summer

It's the news no driver wants to hear - once again parts of the busy M20 are to be closed to allow roadworks to take place.

Highways England will be carrying out yet more work of the road through Maidstone and Malling during the summer, with some full overnight closures planned between junctions 4 and 6.

The recently-finished smart motorway section of the M20
The recently-finished smart motorway section of the M20

Workers are expected to be on site from June 7 to resurface the carriageway, refresh line markings and replace road studs.

The work is expected to take place run until August 27.

Most of the work will be facilitated by lane closures between 8pm and 6am.

However, there will be some overnight carriageway closures, with the road shut eastbound on July 12-15 and westbound on August 23-26.

A diversion will be in place, with drivers sent via the A228, M2 and A229 - a distance of around 13.5 miles compared to the 4.5 miles along the M20.

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The news of the latest scheme has been met with exasperation by Chatham and Aylesford MP Tracey Crouch, who has previously hit out at what see described as "shambolic" management of projects on the motorway which runs through her constituency.

"These night-time road closures are utterly ridiculous given how much disruption residents along the M20 and A20 have already faced," she said.

"I wish they would just shut it, fix it, open it and then leave us all in peace."

Roadworks on the M20 have been a common sight in recent years, particularly in the section between junctions 3 and 5 where two years of work was carried out to convert a 6.5-mile stretch into a smart motorway.

That work finished in May last year, but by the summer workmen were back - this time to replace a footbridge which collapsed when it was hit by a lorry in August 2016.

Tracey Crouch MP
Tracey Crouch MP

Speaking at the time, Ms Crouch said: "It has been a shambolically managed project from the outset and requests to combine works to minimise disruption have been ignored.

"Unfortunately Highways England appear to do whatever it likes, when it likes, with little accountability, something that needs to be addressed for future road build projects."

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