Chaos on M20: Operation Brock Holds the Line Amid Summer Travel Havoc
Partner agencies battled non-stop to ease gridlock that erupted on Thursday, July 21, 2022. Thousands of holidaymakers heading to Europe faced snarled traffic as Operation Brock stayed firmly in place on the M20.
What Is Operation Brock?
Operation Brock is a traffic management scheme designed to keep freight flowing across the English Channel. It’s a vital plan to boost Kent’s resilience during any service disruptions at the Channel ports.
Weekend Measures and Major Incident Declared
- Additional controls were introduced over the weekend to ease congestion and speed up journeys.
- The Kent Resilience Forum declared the summer travel chaos a major incident at 1:25pm on Friday, July 22.
- The incident was stood down at 1:10pm on Monday, July 25, as traffic conditions improved.
Back to Business as Usual
The restrictions on drivers heading to the Port of Dover and the Eurotunnel have now been lifted. Contraflow on the M20 between Maidstone (Junction 8) and Ashford (Junction 9) is back, letting traffic flow coastbound as normal.
The Port of Dover handled a staggering 72,000+ passengers on Sunday alone. The Kent Resilience Forum thanked everyone for their patience during the tough spell and urged travellers to plan ahead, check travel updates, and carry essentials like food and water before setting off.
