Highways England has set out new options for measures that will help improve the road network’s resilience when there are interruptions to services across the English Channel.
The steps include a fresh look at options for holding large numbers of lorries at a site near the M20, and an interim solution that would hold freight traffic on the M20 while keeping the motorway open in both directions for other vehicles.
They follow the Government’s announcement that it has withdrawn its July 2016 decision to approve plans for a lorry area at Stanford West.
Highways England project director John Kerner said: “The disruption that people in Kent suffered in summer 2015 underlines the need for long term improvements to how traffic is managed when cross-channel services are interrupted.
“Improvements at the port, and changes we have made to traffic management on the A20 near Dover, have delivered real improvements and have also helped prevent Operation Stack from being implemented.
"Along with our partners we are better prepared than ever, but a better plan for dealing with more widespread disruption is still needed.
“Now that the Government has withdrawn the decision to build a lorry area at Stanford West, we have been asked by the Transport Secretary to immediately develop both an interim and a permanent solution to reduce the local traffic impacts if there is cross-channel disruption.
“Highways England is committed to delivering the Government’s aim of finding a solution that makes Operation Stack less disruptive for people and businesses in Kent, and the improvements we are taking forward will help to do just that.”
Highways England have developed a number of options that, while continuing to hold HGVs on the M20, would allow non-port traffic to continue to travel in both directions reducing the levels of traffic disruption seen in Operation Stack.
This could, for example, be through holding HGVs in the centre of the motorway rather than on the coastbound carriageway. Different technologies ranging from steel barriers to movable barrier systems could be deployed to deliver these solutions.
A decision on the interim option will be made in early 2018, with delivery complete by March 2019.
The Transport Secretary has also tasked Highways England with starting the process to develop a permanent alternative to Operation Stack, incorporating a lorry park, through the normal planning process, including a full Environmental Impact Assessment.
Highways England is currently reviewing the scope, scale and location of potential solutions.
The work will take into account changes since the original concept of the lorry park was promoted, in particular the UK’s exit from the European Union but also the need for ‘business as usual’ lorry parking in Kent.
Specific investment decisions on both the longer-term and interim solutions will be subject to normal considerations of affordability and value for money. Highways England intends to consult on the options in early 2018 with a view to submitting a planning application in 2019.
Joe Whittaker - 16/11/2017 17:08
This problem is entirely a ' One Direction ' problem and requires a suatainable long term solution. The best solution is to build a one direction dual carriageway soley for LGV/ Commercial vehicle use. This would be used 24/7/365 and provide adequate storage for 18,000 LGV's should the problems of the French ports occur at any time. beleiev it or not we still , as a country, do not have a motorway connection to our major ferry port of Dover viz dualled A2 with traffic lights and roundnabouts for the last 6 milers or so. If we leave our future in the hands of Highways England we are doomed - viz 50 years fannying abround the A303 at Stonehenge.