Member notice: Operation Brock will be deployed 1-7 April

The Kent and Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF) has confirmed that Operation Brock in Kent will be deployed overnight on Wednesday 1 April and removed overnight on Tuesday 7 April under current plans.

It has said that it anticipates high volumes of passenger numbers heading through Kent to Europe ahead of the Easter break.

A contraflow system will be in place on the M20, coastbound, between junctions 8 and 9 with a reduced speed limit to allow a dedicated lane to be created for HGVs to queue if needed.

Work to install the barrier will take place on Wednesday 1 April and the M20 will reopen on Thursday 2 April. The barrier will be removed overnight on Tuesday 7 April and the M20 will reopen as normal on Wednesday 8 April.

The KMRF is advising drivers to check their route before setting off and allow extra time for the journey in case they are caught up in traffic.

Logistics UK’s Senior Policy Manager Josh Fenton said: “Ahead of Operation Brock being deployed this Easter, we’re calling on the government to implement a permanent solution.

“Half of all goods traded between Great Britain and mainland Europe use the Short Straits crossing between England and France, with 16,000 freight vehicles travelling through the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel every day.

“The drivers of these vehicles suffer significant disruption when there is queueing on these routes, and it is unacceptable to expect them to park on the hard shoulder without access to a hot meal or toilet for hours on end.

“The resourcefulness that designed Operation Brock must be applied to finding a permanent solution to what was expected to be a temporary problem. The current solution is not sustainable, and it urgently needs an alternative that ensures the smooth movement of goods while minimising disruption for freight and passengers.”