Phase Two of the freight traffic management system, Operation Stack, has been put in place on the M20 southbound on Tuesday 23 June due to disruption on the French side of the English Channel.
Currently the Port of Calais is closed due to industrial action but services from Dover to Dunkirk remain open and extra crossings are being arranged.
In Coquelles, Eurotunnel has temporarily suspended its services due to industrial action by port workers.
The industrial action in France is expected to last until this evening (23 June). As a result, Operation Stack will be in place overnight and into tomorrow until the backlog of traffic has cleared.
Non-freight traffic is being diverted onto the A20 from Junction 8 (Hollingbourne) and rejoining the motorway at Junction 9 (Ashford West). This allows backed-up freight traffic to park on the coastbound carriageway of the M20.
Kent Police is reminding lorry drivers that those at the front of the queue will get a ticket to continue their journey to the continent. Those who use the diversions for non-freight traffic in an attempt to get closer to the front, and who do not have a ticket, will be sent to the back of the Op Stack queue.
Operation Stack is used to queue lorries travelling towards the continent, to avoid causing gridlock across Kent’s road network. It is only introduced as an emergency measure after consultation with other agencies and implemented following a thorough assessment of issues, including safety concerns and disruption on the road network.
Contact your travel operator before setting off on your journey.
Here are a few useful numbers:
Eurotunnel – call 08444 630000.
Eurostar – visit www.eurostar.com
The Port of Dover – call 01304 240 400 or visit www.doverport.co.uk