Stack Stuck: Police and Highways Agency Pass the Buck on On-going Junction Closure (Shepway Liberal Democrats)

Stack Stuck: Police and Highways Agency Pass the Buck on On-going Junction Closure

August 22, 2006 10:28 AM

BBC Traffic Report showing the junction 11 closure of the M20 - several hours after lorry stacking on the M20 had been cleared

Communications between the Highways Agency and Police are being questioned after Junction 11 of the M20 remained closed hours after Operation Stack had ended, causing miles of queuing traffic.

Operation Stack had been implemented on Monday afternoon to deal with the temporary shut-down of the Channel Tunnel, but the lorries had been cleared by Tuesday morning. However, junction 11 remained closed at 8.30am on Tuesday, forcing coast-bound traffic to leave the motorway and rejoin the motorway the other side of the Hythe turn-off.

Local businessman and Lib Dem campaigner Darren Briddock was caught in the chaos, and contacted both the Highways Agency and Police to report the problem and ask for the junction to be re-opened to clear the M20 jam. The Police claimed they had asked the Highways Agency to lift Operation Stack. The Highways Agency counter-claimed the Police had requested for the "up and over" to be left in position at junction 11 until midday on Tuesday.

Driver Darren fumed:

"You can understand traffic problems when Operation Stack in in place, and until a proper alternative is in place, there is currently little option other than to park lorries in cases such as a Tunnel closure. However, the authorities MUST re-open the motorway as soon as it is safe to do so. It's also about time a proper solution to Channel Tunnel and port closures that doesn't require a motorway closure was found.

"The 'up and over' at junction 11 serves no purpose when the coast-bound M20 is open, has delayed thousands of motorists this morning, and seems to be due simply to the Police and Highways Agency not working together properly."

Services through the Channel Tunnel are getting back to normal after a fire broke out on a lorry being carried on a freight train on Monday afternoon.

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