Drivers should prepare for traffic delays as the M20 is set to close between Maidstone and Ashford next Tuesday to allow a contraflow traffic system to be deployed.
On Tuesday, March 19, the M20 will be closed from 8pm to 6am the next day on Junction nine to eight London bound and coastbound Junction seven to nine.
The closure is to allow the Operation Brock contraflow system to be deployed ahead of the Easter holidays.
The contraflow system forms part of a series of measures around Kent to ensure the smooth flow of traffic in the event of disruption to services across the English Channel.
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All HGVs heading for the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel must follow the signs to join Operation Brock
PA
A diversion will be in place during the closure with signs clearly signalling the changed routes for drivers.
When the M20 reopens at 6am on Wednesday, the Brock contraflow will be in place with drivers told to follow the signs.
Once the barrier is in place, all HGVs heading for the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel must follow the signs to join Operation Brock at M20 junction eight, National Highways explained.
When the contraflow system is in force, drivers are reminded that it is a legal requirement to use the signed routes only for HGV journeys to Port of Dover and Eurotunnel.
For any HGVs on route to cross the Channel that try to use another route to access the Eurotunnel or the Port of Dover could face a fine of £300.
The lorries will also be sent to the back of the queue by police or enforcement agents. This includes trying to bypass the M20 by using the M2/A2 at Brenley Corner.
All other coast bound traffic including local freight and car drivers heading to Europe must follow the signs and cross over to enter the contraflow on the M20 London bound carriageway.
Meanwhile, anyone planning to use the Eurotunnel and the Port of Dover is advised to plan their journeys and check with the travel operator before setting out.
Operation Brock helps keep the M20 open in both directions using a contraflow system without causing heavy delays to drivers.
National Highways explained: “When there’s any sort of disruption in the channel, HGV traffic on the M20 heading for the Port of Dover or the Eurotunnel has nowhere to go.
“Brock is a contraflow that can be set up overnight. It separates traffic into different lanes across both carriageways and keeps the M20 and other local roads open and moving.
“It means, once the contraflow is in, if you’re on the M20 but not going to the port or the Eurotunnel, you can continue your journey as normal. At the same time, it helps control how port-bound HGVs make their way to the Port of Dover or the Eurotunnel.”
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Some drivers could be fined £300 for ignoring the diversion
PA
This follows disruption on the M25 this weekend which will see a five-mile stretch of road closed for the first ever scheduled, daytime closure since the motorway was opened in the 1980s.
