Moving Brexit motorway barrier to cause delays for up to a year

Speed limits will be cut to 50mph during lane closures.

Work to relocate a motorway barrier built to reduce post-Brexit traffic disruption in Kent will cause delays for up to a year (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Archive)

Work to relocate a motorway barrier built to reduce post-Brexit traffic disruption in Kent will cause delays for up to a year.

National Highways said lane closures on a 13-mile stretch of the M20 between junctions eight and nine will be required from later this month until October as it moves the Operation Brock barrier from the hard shoulder to the central reservation.

Speed limits will be cut to 50mph while this happens.

Disruption at Dover can lead to lorries queuing on the M20 (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Wire)

There will also be several overnight closures.

National Highways said the work, which involves an “extensive” drainage upgrade and new signage, will be carried out in phases and could take “up to 12 months”.

The moveable concrete barrier is used as part of Operation Brock to create a contraflow system on the M20 during delays with travel across the English Channel.

This enables vehicles heading to the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel terminal at Folkestone to queue on the motorway while enabling other traffic to keep moving in both directions.

The barrier was first deployed in December 2020, but is currently being stored on the hard shoulder.