Details of work to remove the steel barrier on the M20 in Kent, installed last year as part of Operation Brock, have been confirmed by Highways England.

The removal of the barrier means that three full width lanes at the national speed limit will soon be restored on the London-bound M20 at the end of the month.

The barrier has been in place on a 15-mile section of the M20 between junctions 8 (for Maidstone) and 9 (at Ashford) since March 2019, reflecting the risk of potential traffic disruption during this period. Now that the risk has lowered, Highways England has agreed with the Kent Resilience Forum and the Department for Transport it is the right time to take the barrier down.

The work to remove the barrier will start with a full closure of the M20 in both directions on Monday, 13 January between junctions 9 and 7 from 8pm until 6am on Tuesday, 14 January.

From 8pm on Tuesday, 14 January the London-bound carriageway of the M20 will be closed between junctions 9 and 7 from 8pm until 6am every night for a further 15 nights. Work is being carefully planned to limit any disruption, with all work being carried out overnight.

Around 1,500 metres of barrier will be taken off each night, with road markings repainted and gaps in the central reservation barrier closed.

The final overnight closure is planned for Tuesday, 28 January, where the coastbound carriageway will be closed while the remaining restrictions are removed. All work is expected to be complete - with all restrictions removed - by Saturday, 1 February at the latest.

Full details of the closures, including diversion routes, can be found here.