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  • Share Traffic Jams on Facebook Share Traffic Jams on Twitter Share Traffic Jams on Linkedin Email Traffic Jams link

    Traffic Jams

    by Judith, almost 4 years ago
    I frequently travel along the M20 leaving/joining at junction 8.

    I have seen so many accidents/near misses both on the M20 approach to J8 and the roundabout at J8 - usually caused by people suddenly changing lanes.

    I think the signing is both confusing and unclear. Its fine if you are a 'frequent traveller' but not easy for visitors especially if English is not their first language.

    Als0, on the A20 signs say that Dover crossing traffic must join Op Brock at J8 - but that is incorrect - nobody can JOIN the M20 at J8, you have to go... Continue reading

    I frequently travel along the M20 leaving/joining at junction 8.

    I have seen so many accidents/near misses both on the M20 approach to J8 and the roundabout at J8 - usually caused by people suddenly changing lanes.

    I think the signing is both confusing and unclear. Its fine if you are a 'frequent traveller' but not easy for visitors especially if English is not their first language.

    Als0, on the A20 signs say that Dover crossing traffic must join Op Brock at J8 - but that is incorrect - nobody can JOIN the M20 at J8, you have to go back to J7.

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    Gridlock

    by Alex , almost 4 years ago
    We pay for the motorway but can’t use it. I would like to go to McArthur Glen but can’t use the motorway. The side roads are jammed, we are marooned why not stop the lorries before they get to Kent share it’s out. You have just kept building houses no improvement to the infrastructure. When no Brock Willington street is bad with Brock all the lorries use it and the A20. Put in more widths barriers lorries ignore signs. Look at Brishing Lane. Wallis avenue is now a short cut do something about the parked cars. It was going to... Continue reading
    We pay for the motorway but can’t use it. I would like to go to McArthur Glen but can’t use the motorway. The side roads are jammed, we are marooned why not stop the lorries before they get to Kent share it’s out. You have just kept building houses no improvement to the infrastructure. When no Brock Willington street is bad with Brock all the lorries use it and the A20. Put in more widths barriers lorries ignore signs. Look at Brishing Lane. Wallis avenue is now a short cut do something about the parked cars. It was going to be widened but nothing happened

    Alex Bevan

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    Commute on the m20

    by Pixiec, almost 4 years ago

    I live in medway and commute to Ashford. A journey that would ordinarily take 30 minutes, is now taking approximately 50 minutes, especially in the morning. 1 small glitch and you're stuck on the motorway for hours.

    It's incredibly dangerous at points too. Imparticular coast bound at junction 8 where people do not realise that one lane takes them off the motorway and they swerve back on, then again shortly after junction 8 where the Europe bound lorries are expected to move left. I've seen too many near misses here. Not only this, but you have incredibly narrow lanes with... Continue reading

    I live in medway and commute to Ashford. A journey that would ordinarily take 30 minutes, is now taking approximately 50 minutes, especially in the morning. 1 small glitch and you're stuck on the motorway for hours.

    It's incredibly dangerous at points too. Imparticular coast bound at junction 8 where people do not realise that one lane takes them off the motorway and they swerve back on, then again shortly after junction 8 where the Europe bound lorries are expected to move left. I've seen too many near misses here. Not only this, but you have incredibly narrow lanes with little room for error, carrying wide lorries, who often drift into the other lane or tailgate and intimidate. Tailgating seems to be a real problem on this stretch of road and people have nowhere to move easily to get out of the way of an aggressive driver. I have plenty of evidence on dashcam!

    To add to this, more often than not, there are no queuing lorries in the coast bound lanes! This whole week I haven't seen 1 single line of lorries. Why Has this been up for months? There should be better plans in place to put the contraflow up and down within a few hours.

  • Share Frustration multiplied by bad grace on Facebook Share Frustration multiplied by bad grace on Twitter Share Frustration multiplied by bad grace on Linkedin Email Frustration multiplied by bad grace link

    Frustration multiplied by bad grace

    by Radman3705, almost 4 years ago

    i live in chart Sutton travelling to Ashford on a regular basis.

    The drivers who had been directed off the motorway join the A20. From here folk who are late for their ferry etc now join the rest of Kent on minor roads leading to 25 minute journey now taking 50. I can’t tell you how many incidents that were close to violence as folk think others have cut in front of them.
    please just get the lorries off the road and let rest of normal life carry on.
    it is so bad that we are in the process of... Continue reading

    i live in chart Sutton travelling to Ashford on a regular basis.

    The drivers who had been directed off the motorway join the A20. From here folk who are late for their ferry etc now join the rest of Kent on minor roads leading to 25 minute journey now taking 50. I can’t tell you how many incidents that were close to violence as folk think others have cut in front of them.
    please just get the lorries off the road and let rest of normal life carry on.
    it is so bad that we are in the process of leaving Kent.

    such a beautiful county but rubbish traffic, management with jams virtually every 5 minutes.

  • Share Colin on Facebook Share Colin on Twitter Share Colin on Linkedin Email Colin link

    Colin

    by Colin Gilham, almost 4 years ago
    I live near to junction 7 of the M20. My son, his wife and their children, my grandchildren, live near to junction 10, at Ashford. My wife and I are elderly. Because of that we refrain from traveling on the M20 due to the very narrow lanes and heavy lorries passing very close by. The A20 can become clogged up too with drivers preferring to travel that route. Because of the issues mentioned we rarely see our son and his family whereas, prior to Operation Brock, we would visit regularly!
    I live near to junction 7 of the M20. My son, his wife and their children, my grandchildren, live near to junction 10, at Ashford. My wife and I are elderly. Because of that we refrain from traveling on the M20 due to the very narrow lanes and heavy lorries passing very close by. The A20 can become clogged up too with drivers preferring to travel that route. Because of the issues mentioned we rarely see our son and his family whereas, prior to Operation Brock, we would visit regularly!
  • Share So frustrating on Facebook Share So frustrating on Twitter Share So frustrating on Linkedin Email So frustrating link

    So frustrating

    by Callie, almost 4 years ago
    We live near junction 9 so any trips up the county are hard work. I avoid the M20, it isn't safe. It means I use the A20 but with all the house building there i feel I am just adding to their chaos. I work in Maidstone so it impacts on my commute. Family and friends are less keen to come down this way too. Days out at Dover, Walmer etc are only faced when Tap isn't on. It limits our freedom and must be impacting on the businesses and attractions down there and we dont need to loose any... Continue reading
    We live near junction 9 so any trips up the county are hard work. I avoid the M20, it isn't safe. It means I use the A20 but with all the house building there i feel I am just adding to their chaos. I work in Maidstone so it impacts on my commute. Family and friends are less keen to come down this way too. Days out at Dover, Walmer etc are only faced when Tap isn't on. It limits our freedom and must be impacting on the businesses and attractions down there and we dont need to loose any of them. It is frustrating that it seems to be acceptable to cut off half the County and we do very little to complain about it. People in Kent are clearly a tolerant bunch but there seems little chance of this not reoccurring at peak travel times. The cost to police and KCC is something we must all contribute to as well. How many other counties taxes end up supporting a traffic jam on such a huge level.


    The ports need more space but I don't see how that can be achieved when there is no room to expand. I am amazed lorry drivers still agree to come here!
  • Share when emergency ops become the norm.... on Facebook Share when emergency ops become the norm.... on Twitter Share when emergency ops become the norm.... on Linkedin Email when emergency ops become the norm.... link

    when emergency ops become the norm....

    by bob, almost 4 years ago
    Why after so many years of this happening are we still without a permanent solution? ...typically the gov don't want to dirty their hands when they should be sorting this out with their counterparts on the continent......what happens in France with the lorries waiting there? Post Brexit surely we should be taking the upper hand and dictating to our French friends? after all, being the purchasers surely not is us who should determine how things operate?

    Are the other ports in the uk unable to take traffic and cargo across to different ports on the continent, by passing our troublesome... Continue reading

    Why after so many years of this happening are we still without a permanent solution? ...typically the gov don't want to dirty their hands when they should be sorting this out with their counterparts on the continent......what happens in France with the lorries waiting there? Post Brexit surely we should be taking the upper hand and dictating to our French friends? after all, being the purchasers surely not is us who should determine how things operate?

    Are the other ports in the uk unable to take traffic and cargo across to different ports on the continent, by passing our troublesome French neighbours? Send the boats directly up north and cut out the SE. Why not try Aberdeen, The Tyne etc

    We have given up trying to use the M20 to access the corridor. Instead we go across country and allow extra time for our journey. What the point in getting involved with HGV drivers on our junctions and A roads? What about the people who live around there effectively have to change their lives because of gov failures? I used to live near jnt 8 but moved away because it was like living in a London suburb. Willington Street and all the other main roads into/out of Maidstone and area are a joke (even when Op Brock isn't in operation)

  • Share Brock Me on Facebook Share Brock Me on Twitter Share Brock Me on Linkedin Email Brock Me link

    Brock Me

    by JeffU-SV, almost 4 years ago

    We're relatively recent arrivals in Kent so quite new to the land of Brock. We use the M20 quite often exiting at Leeds Castle where Brock kicks in.

    That junction is dangerous. There are far too many signs, particularly for drivers who aren't native English speakers. I've seen near misses as people swap lanes, I understand why, it's just so confusing.

    Lorries are taken off one carriageway so they can rejoin at Bearsted. You come across foreign lorries all around here, they've just lost the plot or are desperately trying to find an area big enough for a U-turn.

    Private... Continue reading

    We're relatively recent arrivals in Kent so quite new to the land of Brock. We use the M20 quite often exiting at Leeds Castle where Brock kicks in.

    That junction is dangerous. There are far too many signs, particularly for drivers who aren't native English speakers. I've seen near misses as people swap lanes, I understand why, it's just so confusing.

    Lorries are taken off one carriageway so they can rejoin at Bearsted. You come across foreign lorries all around here, they've just lost the plot or are desperately trying to find an area big enough for a U-turn.

    Private cars, at the peak of congestion, think there's a magic way round the chaos and they too dither around local roads.

    Luckily we're retired so it's just an inconvenience to us to stay in doors when it's at its worst, but we've had friends cancel visits to see us due to adverse publicity about Kent.

  • Share Too scared to drive it on Facebook Share Too scared to drive it on Twitter Share Too scared to drive it on Linkedin Email Too scared to drive it link

    Too scared to drive it

    by Anne, almost 4 years ago
    I live in Willesborough right by J10, visits to Maidstone shopping are a thing of the long distant past. I no longer go away or visit places i used to. For fear of driving in the reduced width lanes whilst foreign lorries thunder past with no regard for the speed limit. The fear of getting stuck in a jam & not making it home for hours is a massive deterrent too. It effects lives in Kent in ways that don't even seem to be considered
    I live in Willesborough right by J10, visits to Maidstone shopping are a thing of the long distant past. I no longer go away or visit places i used to. For fear of driving in the reduced width lanes whilst foreign lorries thunder past with no regard for the speed limit. The fear of getting stuck in a jam & not making it home for hours is a massive deterrent too. It effects lives in Kent in ways that don't even seem to be considered
  • Share Chaos on Facebook Share Chaos on Twitter Share Chaos on Linkedin Email Chaos link

    Chaos

    by Pauline Cusack Shannon, almost 4 years ago
    Oh my god!!!! I know within minutes that op brick is on and I’m on Willington street. The tail back on Willington street is bad at the best of times without this. I have to pick my grandsons up from school and nursery and it should take around 30mins but because I have to come from boughton lane, down Willington st, down ashford rd then into new cut road it’s more like an hour. And that is a precious hour considering the fact that homework has to be done when they get home. How is this possible for 5/7 yr... Continue reading
    Oh my god!!!! I know within minutes that op brick is on and I’m on Willington street. The tail back on Willington street is bad at the best of times without this. I have to pick my grandsons up from school and nursery and it should take around 30mins but because I have to come from boughton lane, down Willington st, down ashford rd then into new cut road it’s more like an hour. And that is a precious hour considering the fact that homework has to be done when they get home. How is this possible for 5/7 yr olds. There is just enough time for dinner then bed. Surely this cannot be right.. I don’t like going out in Maidstone when brick is on because of the immediate build up of traffic in the rat runs like ashford rd and Willington st. Something has got to be done and soon especially because there is going to be some 400 homes built just off of Willington st fairly soon. Enough is enough MBC this cannot be allowed to go on any further - what are we paying you planning people for if this is all youve got.