Operation Brock is set to return to the M20 next week, accompanied by new permits to prevent lorry drivers from bypassing the system.
The contraflow scheme, which queues lorries heading to the continent on the coastbound side between Junction 8 (Leeds Castle) and Junction 9 (Ashford), will be reinstated overnight on Wednesday, July 10. However, many truckers have been skipping the system and taking alternative routes to the Port of Dover, worsening congestion.
To address this, the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF) will issue new permits to truckers at the front of the Operation Brock queue between Junctions 8 and 9. These permits will be checked at the A20/B2011 Courtwood Interchange in Dover. Truckers without the permit will be turned around to join the Brock queue.
The Brock system involves a contraflow on the London-bound carriageway with narrow lanes and a 50mph speed limit, expected to remain throughout the summer holiday.
As holidaymakers and spectators heading to the Olympic Games in Paris pass through the county from July 13 until mid-August, Simon Jones, strategic lead of the KMRF, emphasized the need to manage traffic effectively to minimize disruption to local communities and businesses in Dover.
Jones said: “We are stepping up measures to ensure freight drivers stick to the plan and do not bypass the queues, which only add to congestion in Dover. However, these permits are not a ‘fix-all’ solution. With a busy summer and the introduction of entry-exit system checks later this year, we are working hard to prevent further disruption.”
The KMRF, comprising several authorities including Kent County Council, aims to prevent freight drivers from “rat running” with these permits. Freight drivers must leave the A20 at the Courtwood Interchange, where their permits will be checked before re-entering the Dover TAP queue on the A20.
The KMRF’s message to freight drivers is clear: “No permit – no access to Port of Dover.” Local HGVs and deliveries will not be diverted and will continue their journey with passenger and local traffic into Dover. Kent hauliers eligible for a ‘local haulier permit’ will receive it ahead of the busy summer period without needing to apply.
Traffic flows will be continuously monitored, and Operation Brock will be removed once disruption reduces.
To implement the contraflow, the M20 will be closed overnight from 8pm on Wednesday, July 10 to 6am on Thursday, July 11. The closures will affect the London-bound carriageway from Junctions 9 to 8 and the coastbound carriageway from Junction 7 to 9.
