Major motorway to CLOSE this evening for vital works with diversion in place
A MAJOR motorway will close this evening for essential roadworks.
The
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Lorry drivers waiting on the M20 in Kent
Credit: Alamy
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Operation Brock in action
Credit: Alamy
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Lorry drivers often face delays waiting for ferries in Dover
Credit: Getty
The
The closure will take place in both directions between
Junction four offers drivers exits for
The closure covers the road's carriageways,
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A
This comes after other parts of the M20 were closed for the same period last night.
Westbound, the road was closed between Junctions 9 and 8, between Ashford and
Eastbound, the closure extended even further from Junction 9 to Junction 7.
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Signed diversions were put in place to guide drivers to their destination using nearby roads.
Both sides of the road were re-opened today, with the usual national
Drivers warned of travel chaos this Bank Holiday amid M20 closures
These closures took place to remove barriers for a
These were rolled out as part of an initiative called
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This is a traffic holding system which enables
Under Operation Brock, Dover-bound lorries queue on one side of the M20.
Meanwhile on the other side of the carriageway, a contraflow enables traffic to run in both directions.
The Operation was originally designed for use if the UK had left the European Union with a no-deal Brexit.
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It is implemented by a group of local authorities called the
Today, the BBC has released
Its use over the bank holiday weekend will have cost between £100,000 to £250,000.
Across 10 occasions when Operation Brock has been used between 2019 and 2024, it has required more than £2.7 million in funding.
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Simon Jones, KMRF strategic lead for border disruption, told the BBC that it was never done "without having clear data of increased border crossings to inform our planning".
He said: "Until the government agrees permanent, long-term solutions to tackle disruption on Kent's roads and delays at the border during busy periods, Operation Brock is the only option available."
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Port of Dover traffic builds up due to border controls checks being carry out in Dover
Credit: Getty
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Barriers for Operation Brock were removed between J7-9 on Tuesday night
Credit: Getty
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