Chaos struck the M20 this morning as a lorry broke down between Junction 9 (Ashford) and Junction 8 (Hollingbourne), causing massive delays on the London-bound carriageway.
Gridlock and Tailbacks Stretch for Miles
Traffic ground to a halt around 9am with motorists stuck in jams stretching up to four miles. National Highways warned drivers to expect delays of over 45 minutes as recovery teams raced to the scene.
Recovery Crews and Emergency Services Scramble
Recovery vehicles are now en route, with emergency services on alert to assist. The breakdown couldn’t have come at a worse time, hitting on the very first day of Operation Brock — the new system launched last night to manage post-Brexit freight traffic on the M20.
What Is Operation Brock?
- Traffic controls between Junctions 9 and 8 (London-bound) and between Junctions 7 and 9 (coast-bound)
- Set up to keep freight flowing smoothly amid surging demand at the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel
- Involves a 13-mile stretch of lane closures and contraflow systems to prevent gridlock
The new restrictions aim to ease expected cross-channel traffic spikes in the coming weeks.
