Latest news with #KMRF
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Kent County Council seeks solution to 'painful' Operation Brock
Kent County Council says it is looking for alternatives to Operation Brock, including an off-road lorry facility to try to ease Brock sees lorries heading to Dover queuing on one side of the M20 in an attempt to ease congestion, but council representatives said it was a "painful measure for everybody in Kent".Peter Osborne, cabinet member for highways and transport, said that while they were seeking a solution to the ongoing issues the contraflow system between junctions eight and nine was "all that we've got".Mr Osborne said: "I'm pretty sure that everyone at the council and most of our residents want to get rid of it." Operation Brock is funded by the Department for Transport (DfT), with decisions on its use made by the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF).On average the operation costs about £250,000 each time it is deployed, a Freedom of Information request Osborne said the council had looked at sites for an off-road holding facility, but the site needed to be between Ashford and Folkestone and on the left side of the had included the Sevington inland border facility, which the government is reportedly considering selling following its post-Brexit deal with the EU, but Mr Osborne said the site was on the wrong side of the Howe, highways and transport strategic resilience manager at the KMRF, told Radio Kent that "being realistic, it [Operation Brock] won't be fixed this summer and it won't be fixed next summer".The DfT was approached for comment.
BBC News
7 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Operation Brock to be deployed on M20 near Dover
A traffic-holding system for lorries queueing to cross the English Channel is to be Brock will see lorries heading to Dover queue on one side of the M20, with the other carriageway operating as a contraflow between junctions 8 and barrier will be deployed overnight, meaning the contraflow will be in place from Thursday, the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF) KMRF said the system minimised congestion and that its work to find a permanent solution was ongoing. A formal review of whether the barrier needs to stay will take place in the first week of from the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel showed high volumes of passenger traffic was expected every weekend of strategic lead for border disruption, Simon Jones, said: "The decision to put the Op Brock barrier out is made to keep disruption for Kent residents to a minimum and always led by on the number of passenger and freight crossings expected at the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel."Our work with central government to identify a better traffic management solution will continue, alongside our around-the-clock traffic monitoring so everyone can get to where they need to be safely this summer."The decision to use Operation Brock is made collectively by the KMRF, a partnership of agencies including Kent Police, Kent County Council and National Highways.
BBC News
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Operation Brock deployed 'at last possible moment'
A traffic system for lorries queueing to cross the English Channel will be put in place as close to the busy period as possible to minimise disruption for residents, organisers have Operation Brock contraflow barrier will be rolled out on the M20 between junctions eight and nine overnight on 16 July, coming into force the following Kent and Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF) said the system minimises congestion and that its work to find a permanent solution is residents have said it blocks "key routes" and is too expensive, costing between £100,000 and £250,000 each time. The KMRF said data from the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel showed high passenger numbers were expected every weekend in July, but that it would review if the barrier needs to stay in place in the first week of Jones, the KMRF's strategic lead for border disruption, said: "The decision to put the barrier out is made to keep disruption for Kent residents to a minimum and always led by the number of passenger and freight crossings expected at the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel."Our work with central government to identify a better traffic management solution will continue, alongside our around-the-clock traffic monitoring so everyone can get to where they need to be safely this summer."A BBC Freedom of Information request to National Highways revealed Operation Brock cost more than £2.7m to roll out across 10 occasions between 2019, when it was first introduced, and Robin Burkhardt, who used to run an antique shop on Snargate Street, Dover, said in May that heavy port traffic "destroyed his business"."We had to close up last December because everyone ended up staying away from the area - it caused the town to suffer," he Christine Mitchell, who lives along the M20, said when Operation Brock was in place there was disruption on the roads and lorries were "thundering through" residential said: "I think it's an absolutely disgusting waste of money and quite honestly a sledgehammer to crack a nut."The KMRF said that until the government finds a permanent solution, Operation Brock is the only option available.
Scottish Sun
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Major motorway to CLOSE this evening for vital works with diversion in place
This is the road's second major overnight closure in a row MOTOR MAYHEM Major motorway to CLOSE this evening for vital works with diversion in place – check your route A MAJOR motorway will close this evening for essential roadworks. The road is used by up to 120,000 people per day. 5 Lorry drivers waiting on the M20 in Kent Credit: Alamy 5 Operation Brock in action Credit: Alamy 5 Lorry drivers often face delays waiting for ferries in Dover Credit: Getty The M20 motorway will be closed this evening for vital works taking place between 8pm and 6am overnight. The closure will take place in both directions between Junctions four and seven. Junction four offers drivers exits for Rochester, meanwhile Junction 7 does so for Maidstone. The closure covers the road's carriageways, slip roads and lanes for planned barrier works. A National Highway spokesperson said: "These times have been chosen to minimise disruption to road users and ensure the roads are suitable for the traffic.' 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 Lenham respectively. Eastbound, the closure extended even further from Junction 9 to Junction 7. 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 speed limit being re-implemented. Drivers warned of travel chaos this Bank Holiday amid M20 closures These closures took place to remove barriers for a contraflow which had been put in place over the bank holiday, to accommodate for heavy traffic during the school holidays. These were rolled out as part of an initiative called Operation Brock. This is a traffic holding system which enables lorries to queue for English Channel crossings. 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. It is implemented by a group of local authorities called the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF). Today, the BBC has released new data on the system's cost to the taxpayer. 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. 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." 5 Port of Dover traffic builds up due to border controls checks being carry out in Dover Credit: Getty
BBC News
28-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Kent: Is Operation Brock on the M20 worth the money?
Operation Brock is the traffic-holding system for lorries queueing to cross the English Channel that has divided opinion since its behind the scheme say it saves surrounding roads and communities from being impacted whenever there are delays at the Port of Dover or critics of the M20 contraflow say it is too expensive - the cost of deploying it ranging from £100,000 to £250,000.A BBC Freedom of Information request to National Highways revealed Operation Brock cost more than £2.7m to roll out across 10 occasions between 2019-2024. In that time, it cost between £795,000 and £175,000 each time the system was put in by a group of local authorities called the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF), Brock sees Dover-bound lorries queue on one side of the motorway while the other carriageway is split between traffic travelling in both in 2019, it has since been set up between junctions eight (Maidstone) and nine (Ashford) during periods of anticipated high traffic, such as public holidays and major events. Most recently rolled out for the May Bank Holiday weekend, it was due to be removed overnight on Tuesday having failed to win over some Dover residents."Saturday morning was chaos," said Nikki Bushell from Aycliffe."A lot of the lorries end up blocking key routes and roundabouts and nobody can get out."When it works it's great, but when it doesn't it's hell for local residents."Something more needs to be done, especially when it costs that much each time." Robin Burkhardt, who used to run an antique shop on Snargate Street, said heavy port traffic "destroyed his business". "We had to close up last December because everyone ended up staying away from the area - it caused the town to suffer," he Mitchell, who lives along the M20, said when Brock was in place there was disruption on the roads and lorries were "thundering through" residential said: "I think it's an absolutely disgusting waste of money and quite honestly a sledgehammer to crack a nut."Ms Mitchell said a better solution "should have been put in place much earlier"."It's not doing what it should do, and that's keeping Kent running," she added. A spokesperson for the KMRF said the decision to use Brock, which also involves Kent Police, Kent County Council and National Highways, was "driven by intelligence showing increased cross-Channel bookings for tourist traffic". Simon Jones, KMRF strategic lead for border disruption, added 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."Belinda Totton, business services coordinator at National Highways, said although it was "unfortunate" that a system had to be put in place, "without one we would be unable to maintain the flow of traffic around Kent whenever there was a disruption to travel across the English Channel." She added: "Operation Brock may be an inconvenience, but it is better than us closing the M20 in its entirety to safeguard the local authority roads and surrounding towns."
