M20 junction 8 to 9 moveable barrier

Latest updates

• 21 January 2021

  Plan ahead if you’re using M20 this weekend

  We’re closing the section between junction 9, for Ashford, and junction 8, for Maidstone overnight on Friday 22 January and Saturday 23 January while we carry out barrier maintenance and carriageway repairs.

  We’re closing the London bound contraflow from 9pm until 6am each night and closing the coastbound contraflow from 12am midnight until 3am on Friday night only. The coastbound contraflow will be open on Saturday night.

  All vehicles heading towards London will need to follow the fully-signed diversion route, via the A20. Motorists and motorcyclists should exit at junction 9 onto the A20 and continue westbound on the A20 to junction 8 where they will be able to re-join the M20.

  A low bridge at Harrietsham which has a height restriction of 15ft 6” (4.7m) means that over height vehicles must turn around at junction 9 and head back on the M20 to junction 13 where they should join the A20 towards Dover. They can then join the London bound A2.

  Traffic will still be able to use the M20 coastbound over the weekend and coast bound freight should continue to follow signs directing them to the Brock freight holding area.

  HGVs heading to the Port of Dover are reminded they should follow the signs to Manston. 

• 08 January 2021

  Drivers advised to plan ahead if using M20 this weekend

  We're advising motorists and motorcyclists intending to use the M20 this weekend to plan ahead as part of the motorway in Kent will be closed overnight for essential maintenance.

  The section between junction 8, for Maidstone, and junction 9, for Ashford, will be closed overnight on Friday 8 January 2021 and Saturday 9 January 2021 while barrier maintenance and technology repairs are carried out and litter is cleared from the carriageway.

  The closures are in both directions and will be from 8pm until 6am each night.

  All vehicles – other than Channel-bound freight going to Eurotunnel - will need to follow the fully-signed diversion route, via the A20.

  The M20 carriageway between junctions 8 and 9 is operating a contraflow system under Operation Brock to help manage freight heading to the cross-channel ports.

  Operation Brock is a series of measures that improve Kent’s resilience in the event of disruption to services across the English Channel and was put in place just before Christmas.

  Channel-bound freight going to Eurotunnel will still be able to use the M20 coastbound during the closure and should continue to follow signs directing them through to the Brock freight holding area. 

  HGVs heading to the Port of Dover are reminded they should follow the signs to Manston.

  Get in touch

  We provide travel alerts on high priority incidents on this site. For more traffic information on our network please visit Traffic England. 

  You can follow us on twitter @HighwaysSEAST

  Please check our roadworks page before you plan any journeys or for changes in our programme.

  Please also check this web page frequently as we will announce any date or time changes here.

  Please contact us on 0300 123 5000  if you have any questions, or email the M20 Project Team directly at  M20MoveableBarrier@highwaysengland.co.uk. 

  Alternatively, you can contact the Highways England Customer Contact Centre 24 hours a day by phone on 0300 123 5000 or by email at info@highwaysengland.co.uk.

• 28 December 2020

  M20 London-bound contraflow fully reopens to drivers

  The M20 contraflow system between junction 8 (Maidstone) and junction 9 (Ashford) in Kent has now fully reopened to all drivers.

  The M20 carriageway is operating a contraflow system under Operation Brock to help manage freight heading to the cross-channel ports, but is now open to all traffic in both directions, with two lanes running coast-bound, and another two lanes running London-bound.

  HGVs heading for the Port of Dover should follow the signs heading into Kent and leave the M20 at junction 7 where they must go to Manston Airport for release to the port.

  HGVs wishing to use Eurotunnel should continue on the M20, following the signs to leave the motorway at junction 8, where they will be directed to join Operation Brock. Any Port of Dover freight will be turned away and redirected to Manston Airport.

  Although testing facilities are available at Manston and on the M20, hauliers are advised to get a Covid test before entering Kent if possible.

  For information on Covid testing at Manston or on the M20, hauliers should visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/covid-19-testing-for-hgv-drivers-using-the-port-of-dover-or-eurotunnel.

  Drivers can keep up to date by following the news or from the following Twitter services: 

  @HighwaysSEAST   

  Kent Police: @kent_police   

  Port of Dover: @PoD_travelnews   

  Eurotunnel Le Shuttle: @LeShuttle   

  Kent County Council: @KentHighways   

  Get in touch

  We provide travel alerts on high priority incidents on this site. For more traffic information on our network please visit Traffic England. 

  You can follow us on twitter @HighwaysSEAST

  Please check our roadworks page before you plan any journeys or for changes in our programme.

  Please also check this web page frequently as we will announce any date or time changes here.

  Please contact us on 0300 123 5000  if you have any questions, or email the M20 Project Team directly at  M20MoveableBarrier@highwaysengland.co.uk. 

  Alternatively, you can contact the Highways England Customer Contact Centre 24 hours a day by phone on 0300 123 5000 or by email at info@highwaysengland.co.uk.

• 26 December 2020

  M20 London bound contraflow open

  The M20 contraflow system between junction 8 (Ashford) and junction 9 (Maidstone) in Kent has partially reopened to all drivers.

  The carriageway is still operating a contraflow system under Operation Brock to help manage freight heading to the cross-channel ports. Under the current traffic management arrangement, one lane, London bound only, is open to all drivers.

  The other lanes between junction 8 and junction 9 remain closed to non-freight traffic.

  Highways England continues to work closely with partners including the Department for Transport, Kent Resilience Forum, Kent Council and Kent Police to alleviate the congestion in Kent.

  For information on Covid testing at Manston or on the M20, hauliers should visit this web page.

  Get in touch

  We provide travel alerts on high priority incidents on this site. For more traffic information on our network please visit Traffic England. 

  You can follow us on twitter @HighwaysSEAST

  Please check our roadworks page before you plan any journeys or for changes in our programme.

  Please also check this web page frequently as we will announce any date or time changes here.

  Please contact us on 0300 123 5000  if you have any questions, or email the M20 Project Team directly at  M20MoveableBarrier@highwaysengland.co.uk. 

  Alternatively, you can contact the Highways England Customer Contact Centre 24 hours a day by phone on 0300 123 5000 or by email at info@highwaysengland.co.uk.

• 23 December 2020

  M20 fully closed in Kent between junctions 8 and 9 for Operation Stack

  All drivers – including all hauliers – are reminded to avoid travelling to Kent until further notice due to continued cross-channel disruption.

  Due to the severity of the disruption, and the continued arrival of freight traffic into Kent, Kent Police have activated Operation Stack to manage freight traffic, with both the coastbound and London-bound M20 now being used to stack lorries until disruption eases. This means that the M20 is effectively closed in both directions between junctions 8 for Maidstone East and junction 9 for Ashford, with diversions via the A20.

  Freight is also being stacked between junctions 8 and 11 on the coastbound M20.

  The measures follow the French government’s closure of the border on Sunday evening, and the subsequent disruption to channel crossings. Even though the border is now open, it will take some time to clear the backlog of freight traffic wishing to cross the channel.

  Highways England is working closely with the Department for Transport, Kent Resilience Forum, Kent Council and Kent Police on contingency measures to alleviate the congestion.

  For more details on Operation Stack and how it works, visit the Kent Police website.

  Get in touch

  We provide travel alerts on high priority incidents on this site. For more traffic information on our network please visit Traffic England. 

  You can follow us on twitter @HighwaysSEAST

  Please check our roadworks page before you plan any journeys or for changes in our programme.

  Please also check this web page frequently as we will announce any date or time changes here.

  Please contact us on 0300 123 5000  if you have any questions, or email the M20 Project Team directly at  M20MoveableBarrier@highwaysengland.co.uk. 

  Alternatively, you can contact the Highways England Customer Contact Centre 24 hours a day by phone on 0300 123 5000 or by email at info@highwaysengland.co.uk.

• 22 December 2020

  Operation Brock now active on the M20

  Operation Brock is now in place between junctions 9 and 8 (from Ashford to Maidstone) on the M20.

  Brock involves a contraflow layout on the London-bound carriageway of the motorway which allows traffic to move in both directions while lorries heading for Europe use the coastbound carriageway where they are being queued.

  Hauliers are advised to avoid travelling to Kent as disruption could last for several days.

  For the latest travel advice please use the travel alerts link below.

  Get in touch

  We provide travel alerts on high priority incidents on this site. For more traffic information on our network please visit Traffic England. 

  You can follow us on twitter @HighwaysSEAST

  Please check our roadworks page before you plan any journeys or for changes in our programme.

  Please also check this web page frequently as we will announce any date or time changes here.

  Please contact us on 0300 123 5000  if you have any questions, or email the M20 Project Team directly at  M20MoveableBarrier@highwaysengland.co.uk. 

  Alternatively, you can contact the Highways England Customer Contact Centre 24 hours a day by phone on 0300 123 5000 or by email at info@highwaysengland.co.uk.

  If you’ve recently travelled on the M20 between junctions 8 and 9, we’d value your feedback to help us deliver what’s best for our customers. Please complete our online survey.

   

• 16 December 2020

  M20 Moveable barrier test successfully completed

  The M20 moveable barrier live test which started on Friday 11 December has been successfully completed and the M20 has returned to normal.

• 02 December 2020

  Live test of EU exit contingency plans starts Friday 11 December 2020

  Next week we are testing the moveable barrier that will help keep traffic moving in Kent when there’s cross-Channel disruption.

  The test, which we’re carrying out with our partners in the Kent Resilience Forum, will start on Friday 11 December. It means parts of the motorway between Maidstone and Ashford will be closed for four nights, with signed diversions in place.

  The barrier will be used to create a new layout on the M20 with a contraflow system which allows traffic to travel in both directions of the motorway at the same time as port bound lorries are held when required on the coastbound carriageway until they can travel through to the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel.

  The barrier is part of Operation Brock, a series of measures that will keep the M20 open in both directions during periods of cross-Channel disruption. During the test the barrier will be installed and then removed.

  To make sure the barrier is deployed and removed safely, the M20 will be closed in both directions between junction 7 (for Maidstone) and junction 9 (Ashford) overnight (8pm to 8am) on Friday 11, Saturday 12, Sunday 13, and Monday 14 December. The motorway will return to normal by 8am on Tuesday 15 December. Whenever the M20 is closed, signed diversions will be in place.

  At the end of the test the barrier will be returned to the London-bound hard shoulder.

  We are also closing parts of the M20 for a few nights before the test to get ready for it. We won’t be closing both sides of the motorway at the same time on these nights. The tables below show when we’re doing this:

  Overnight closures London bound junction 9 to 8
  
  

  Start -9pm	End - 6am
  30 November 2020	04 December 2020 – Pre-deployment set up
  08 December 2020	11 December 2020 – contingency pre-deployment

  
  Overnight closures Coast bound junction 7 to 9
  
  

  Start -9pm	End - 6am
  07 December 2020	10 December 2020

  
  Trial deployment (11 December to 15 December 2020) -  London bound and Coast bound junction 7 to 9 overnight closures

  Closure	Start - 8pm	End - 8am
  Full closure junction 7 to 9 Coast bound and junction 9 to 8 London bound	11 December 2020	13 December 2020
  Full closure junction 7 to  9 Coast bound	13 December 2020	14 December 2020
  Full closure junction 9 to 8 London bound	14 December 2020	15 December 2020

  
  What will happen during the test?

  Activating the test - first stage free flow contraflow

  The M20 will close in both directions overnight between junctions 7 and 9 on Friday 11 December for the installation of the moveable barrier.

  When the M20 reopens by 8am on Saturday 12 December, the contraflow will be in place in its initial phase. Drivers will need to follow the different layout on the M20 from just north of Junction 8 (for Hollingbourne/Leeds) to Junction 9 (Ashford). Lorries heading for mainland Europe will be routed down the coastbound carriageway, with a 30mph speed limit in place. All other traffic will be directed onto the contraflow, with two lanes in each direction operating at 50mph. We aim to finish our overnight work as early as we can and re-open the motorway as soon as safely possible.

  View a diagram of first stage free flow contraflow

  Final stage free flow contraflow

  The M20 will close in both directions overnight between junctions 7 and 9 on Saturday 12 December and reopen by 8am on Sunday 13 December with the contraflow open in its final phase.

  View a diagram of the final stage free flow contraflow

  Active contraflow

  During the active contraflow, port-bound HGVs in the coastbound carriageway may be held and released upon demand from the Channel Ports.

  View a diagram of the active contraflow

  Deactivating the test

  The M20 will close overnight between junctions 7 and 9 at 8pm on Sunday 13 December for removal of traffic management on the coastbound carriageway.

  When the M20 reopens by 8am on Monday 14 December, the coastbound carriageway will be back to normal, with all traffic management removed. The London-bound carriageway will be open but some traffic management – including the moveable barrier – will still be in place. Speed restrictions will apply. The London-bound carriageway will be closed overnight between junctions 7 and 9 at 8pm on Monday 14 December with the moveable barrier being moved to the far side of the hard shoulder.

  The London-bound M20 will reopen by 8am on Tuesday 15 December, with the M20 back to its normal layout in both directions, with three lanes operating at the national speed limit.

  View a diagram of the normal traffic flow

  Diversion routes

  Vehicles over 4.7m high need to follow a different route, which is to leave at junction 7 and join the M2 then take the A2, the A20 and rejoin the M20 at junction 9.

  This work has been planned with Kent Resilience Forum partners, including Kent Police and Kent County Council. 

  View diversion route map

  Read descriptions of the contraflows used in the test

  Check before you travel

  Please check our roadworks page before you plan any journeys or for changes in our programme. You can also find travel information on:

  Please contact us on 0300 123 5000 or reach the M20 Project Team direct at  M20MoveableBarrier@highwaysengland.co.uk.  We will be glad to assist you.

  You can also follow us on twitter @HighwaysSEAST

  We would like to thank you in advance for your understanding, patience and support during these essential works.

• 02 November 2020

  November work

  Moveable barrier installation work 

  We’ll finish installing the concrete moveable barrier along the M20 London bound J9-8 later this week. The barrier enables us to quickly install a contraflow when needed from the end of December 2020.

  Work on the central reservation crossover gates 

  We are still working on the central reservation to install two new crossover gates. Work on the gate close to junction 9 started on Sunday 25 October and is due to finish on Saturday 14 November. Work on the second gate close to junction 8 starts on 14 November and is due to finish on 30 November.

  The gate installation work will take place behind a temporary steel barrier along both sides of the M20. We require couple of overnight closures (detailed below) to install and then remove a temporary safety barrier on the M20. The gate and crossover installation work can then take place behind the safety barrier with no need to close the M20 any further. There will, however, be narrow lanes and a reduced speed limit coastbound for about one kilometre, and lane 3 will be closed. Similarly, on the London bound carriageway lane 3 will be closed for a kilometre and there’ll be a reduced speed limit but no narrow lanes.

  We need to use some of our contingency period to finish work, which means we are working beyond 12 November 2020.

  London bound overnight closures between junctions 9 and 8

  On the London bound side there will be no overnight closures on a Saturday night, but there will be narrow lanes and a 50mph speed limit where work is in progress.

  From 9pm every night starting on:	Until 6am on:
  3 November 2020	7 November 2020
  9 November 2020	13 November 2020
  15 November 2020	16 November 2020

  
  During these closures this diversion route will be in place:

  • Traffic will be diverted from junction 9 via the A20 to re-join the M20 at junction 8.

  • Vehicles over 4.7m high need to follow a different route, which is to turn around at junction 9 to re-join the M20 towards Dover, then take the A20, the A2, then the M2. Drivers should then leave the M2 for the A249, to re-join the M20 at junction 7 and head back towards junction 8.

  View diversion route map

  Coast bound overnight closures between junctions 7 and 9

  On the coast bound side there is a Saturday night closure on 14 November. The road is open all other Saturdays.

  From 9pm every night starting on:	Until 6am on:
  31 October 2020	1 November 2020
  14 November 2020 (Saturday)	15 November 2020
  26 November 2020	27 November 2020

   

  During these closures this diversion route will be in place:

  • Traffic will be diverted from junction 7 onto the A20 to re-join the M20 at junction 9.

  Vehicles over 4.7m high need to follow a different route, which is to leave at junction 7 and join the M2 then take the A2, the A20 and rejoin the M20 at junction 9.

  View diversion route map

  We are due to finish our work in early December.

  Check before you travel

  Please check our roadworks page before you plan any journeys or for changes in our programme. You can also find travel information on:

  • Traffic England website
  • our travel alerts page

  Please contact us on 0300 123 5000 or reach the M20 Project Team direct via this email address (M20MoveableBarrier@highwaysengland.co.uk) and we will be glad to assist you.

  You can also follow us on twitter @HighwaysEnglandSEAST

  We would like to thank you in advance for your understanding, patience and support during these essential works.

   

• 23 October 2020

  Update on our overnight closures

  There are still no overnight closures planned on Saturday nights.

  However, this Sunday (25 October) we need to close the coastbound carriageway between junctions 7 and 9.

  The road will close at 8pm on Sunday and reopen at 6am on Monday morning.

  There will then be no more overnight closures until Tuesday 3 November when we’ll be closing the London bound carriageway between junctions 9 and 8 from 8pm until 6am the following morning. Going coastbound there will also be an overnight lane closure between junction 8 and 9.

  The same full overnight closure London bound and coastbound lane closure will also take place on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 November.

  On Friday 6 November junctions 9 to 8 (London bound) will once again be closed overnight but there will also be a coastbound full closure between junction 7 and 9.

• 19 October 2020

  First phase complete

  Although our first phase of repairs and upgrade work is complete, poor weather has delayed our white line and road marking work. Our aim is to finish road markings and open this first stretch before the morning rush hour on Tuesday 20 October.

  Meanwhile from Thursday 15 October we’ll install the safety barrier for the next set of work. This means our work site will temporarily be longer than normal but we will reduce this back to seven and a half miles as soon as we can.

  A speed limit of 50mph will apply throughout the roadworks for the safety of our workers and customers.

  Thank you for your continued patience as we carry out this work.

• 28 August 2020

  Work gets under way on moveable barrier solution

  From 1 September essential work starts which will help keep traffic moving on the M20 in the event of cross-Channel disruption.

  London bound closures

  There will be overnight closures of the M20 London bound to install 7.5 miles of temporary safety barriers. Behind these safety barriers our workforce will be delivering a range of work concurrently which will shorten our programme and lessen the impact on road users.

  Our work includes pavement repairs, drainage repairs, road markings and stud work, crash barrier work, central reservation gate installation, CCTV system installation and the installation of the new moveable barriers at the back of the M20 London bound hard-shoulder.

  Overnight closures London bound junction 9 to 8

  (No overnight closures planned on Saturday nights)

  Start - 9pm	End - 6am
  1 September 2020	5 September 2020
  6 September 2020	9 September 2020
  24 September 2020	26 September 2020
  27 September 2020	28 September 2020
  28 September 2020	03 October 2020
  04 October 2020	06 October 2020
  12 October 2020	17 October 2020
  18 October 2020	20 October 2020
  03 November 2020	07 November 2020
  09 November 2020	13 November 2020

   

  12 November 2020 to 1 December 2020 is a contingency period. We will let you know whether we’re using this contingency period closer to the time.

  The following signed diversion routes will be in place whenever we close the M20 London bound between junctions 9 and 8:

  • traffic will be diverted from junction 9 via the A20 to re-join the M20 at junction 8.
  • vehicles over 4.7m high need to follow a different route, which is to turn around at junction 9 to re-join the M20 towards Dover, then take the A20, the A2, then the M2. Drivers should then leave the M2 for the A249, to re-join the M20 at junction 7 and head back towards junction 8.

  Diversion Route Map.

  Although we’re closing the London bound motorway at night, it will remain open during the day, operating with narrow lanes at 50mph where work is in progress.

  
  There will be no closures on Saturday nights. We have also planned our work to avoid overnight closures during the October half term from the Friday 23rd to 2nd November.

  Coastbound lane closures

  We’ll be working on the M20 coastbound between junction 8 and 9, so there’ll be overnight lane closures and a speed reduction of 60mph past the works areas. Check this page for more info on our coastbound lane closures.

  Our work is due to be completed by mid-November, however we have built in contingency time until the end of November in case of unforeseen circumstances such as poor weather.

  Check before you travel

  Please check our roadworks page before you plan any journeys or for changes in our programme. You can also find travel information on:

  • Traffic England website
  • our travel alerts page

  Please contact us on 0300 123 5000 or reach the M20 Project Team direct via this email address (M20MoveableBarrier@highwaysengland.co.uk) and we will be glad to assist you.  You can also follow us on twitter @HighwaysEnglandSEAST

  We would like to thank you in advance for your understanding, patience and support during these essential works.

• 21 August 2020

  Work on new moveable barrier solution starts 1 September

  Essential work to help keep traffic moving on the M20 in Kent in the event of cross-Channel disruption will start from 1 September. 

  Overnight work is necessary to install a new moveable barrier which can be deployed, when required, as part of a system to minimise disruption to drivers and Kent communities.

  The system will allow port-bound lorries to be held on the motorway and at the same time help ensure other traffic continues to run in both directions.

  Unlike previous solutions it also means that, when it is not deployed, the M20 motorway will be able to operate with three lanes running in each direction, at 70mph.

  The new system requires us to work on the hard shoulder of the M20 between junctions 9 and 8 of the London-bound carriageway.

  There will be overnight or lane closures between the junctions from 1 September and the end of November. 

  Work is scheduled to finish by the end of November, but there is contingency to continue work into December should adverse weather conditions make this necessary.

  We’ll be closing the London-bound carriageway overnight (9pm – 6am) from 1-11 September.  We’re not working on 6 September and the motorway will be open that evening.  We’ll then be working again from 16–25 November when the same overnight closures will take place except on the evening on 22 November when the motorway will stay open. 

  During the work, the London-bound carriageway will be reduced to two lanes for safety with a speed limit of 50mph during the day. Work to install gates on the central reservation will require some additional overnight closures of the London-bound carriageway and overnight lane closures on the coast-bound carriageway. The coast-bound M20 will remain open at 60mph while this work is taking place. Advance notice of these closures will be communicated nearer the time.

  Whenever the London-bound carriageway is closed traffic will be diverted from junction 9 via the A20 to re-join the M20 at junction 8. Vehicles over 4.7m high need to follow a different route, which is to turn around at junction 9 to re-join the M20 towards Dover, then the A20, the A2, then the M2. Drivers should then leave the M2 for the A249, to re-join the M20 at junction 7 and head back towards junction 8.

• 13 February 2020

  New scheme to keep M20 moving

  In the event of cross-Channel disruption, the new scheme will be designed to ensure that the M20 can be kept open. During normal traffic conditions, the new scheme allows the motorway to retain three lanes, a hard shoulder and 70mph speed limits in both directions.