Port of Dover queueing system in place for Easter

Operation Brock sees lorries heading to Dover queue on one side of the M20

A traffic system for lorries queueing on the M20 to cross the English Channel will be put in place over the Easter holiday.

Operation Brock sees lorries heading to Dover queue on one side of the M20, while the other carriageway is split for other traffic to use in both directions.

The system comes into force on 3 April and is a response to an expected increase in tourists crossing the channel before and over Easter.

The Kent and Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF), the group of local authorities responsible for implementing Operation Block, said traffic levels will be monitored and the system removed once the risk of serious delays has passed.

The system will be installed between junctions eight and nine on the M20 to act as a "pressure valve" to minimise congestion in the surrounding areas.

Simon Jones, strategic lead for border disruption at the KMRF, said: "If Operation Brock is not in use and there are delays at the Port of Dover, this has a knock-on effect on the surrounding roads – causing unjustified disruption to local communities.

"We will do everything we can to enable people to get where they want to be as safely and as quickly as possible.

"Until more permanent solutions are found to tackle disruption on Kent's roads, Operation Brock is the only tool we have to keep traffic moving through the county."

The installation of the operation means freight heading to mainland Europe are also legally required to follow the signed HGV routes to the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel, using the M20 and A20.

The KMRF said drivers should ensure they have packed essential items, including food, water and regular medication, in case they face delays during busy periods.