M20: Kent travel chaos continues for fifth day as section of motorway closes

Lorries continue to queue in Dover TAP along one lane of the A20 near Aycliffe

A section of motorway has been closed as "severe congestion" built up ahead of a contraflow system aimed at easing cross-Channel traffic.

Highways England (HE) closed the M20 eastbound between junctions eight (Hollingbourne) and nine (Ashford) on the approach to Operation Brock.

Traffic chaos left some travellers queuing for hours at the weekend.

HE added that EU-bound hauliers are causing gridlock in Dover by ignoring calls to join queues.

Delays over recent days were initially caused by a shortage of ferries, bad weather and the start of the Easter break last weekend.

P&O Ferries announced on Wednesday it was preparing to bring two of its vessels, Pride of Kent and Spirit of Britain, back into service between Dover and Calais "by next week", subject to inspection.

Operation Brock allows lorries heading to Dover to use one side of the M20. All other traffic is restricted to a contraflow system on the opposite side.

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The Roundhill Tunnel on the A20 near Hawkinge has re-opened coastbound after an earlier closure on Wednesday due to severe disruption.

On Tuesday, Dover District Council leader Trevor Bartlett criticised the Kent Resilience Forum (KRF), which manages emergency planning for the county, saying the body treated Dover as "an acceptable sacrifice" during travel problems.

In a statement, the KRF said it appreciated the "frustrations"of the council in light of "severe traffic disruption in the town".

The body also said it understood "the impact that this has on Dover residents and businesses".

"We have been working together tirelessly to get traffic moving and have continuously revised the operational traffic management plans in response to the changing circumstances," the KRF added.

Landlords Graham Bevan and his wife Michelle have lost "several thousand pounds" in takings because of the disruption

Some of the rural villages surrounding the M20 are also feeling the pressure of lorries skipping queues.

Graham Bevan, 48, landlord of the Jackdaw pub in Denton, a village between Folkestone and Dover off the A2, says his business lost "several thousand pounds" in takings because of cancellations caused by the travel problems.

Mr Bevan said: "On Saturday we lost 30 covers and we lost around 50 in total across the weekend. We've lost a few more tables already today.

"The impact of this travel disruption after the pandemic is huge. It's very damaging to the trade."

Aycliffe resident Ray Williams says the honking horns of drivers is "unbearable"

In the village of Aycliffe, near Dover, residents say they are losing sleep because hundreds of lorries queued in Dover on the A20 are honking their horns throughout the night.

Resident Ray Williams told the BBC: "It's something we've had a major problem with for a great number of years, but this situation at the moment is unbearable. I mean children going without sleep, adults going without sleep, and they've got to go to work."

Disruption continues to have an effect on wait times at the Port of Dover, with ferry operator DFDS saying passengers face delays of up to 90 minutes to Calais and around 60 minutes to Dunkirk.

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