by UK – Closure of the M40 and A34 roads
National Highways has released a full list of where drivers can expect closures along the M40 and A34 on Thursday, May 11
M40
Jct 9 Southbound Carriageway closure (9.30pm-6am)
A34
– A34 southbound Peartree to Botley carriageway closure (9pm-6am)
– A34 northbound East Ilsley entry slip road closure (9pm-6am)
– A34 northbound East Ilsley exit slip road closure (9pm-6am)
– A34 northbound Beedon entry slip road closure (9pm-6am)
by Kent: overnight closures of the A20
As part of National Highways work to repair and maintain the A20, they will soon be resurfacing between the CourtWood interchange and Western Heights roundabout.
The work will start on the evening of Monday 26th June and finish on the morning of Thursday 27th July and will take place overnight between the hours of 8 pm and 6 am. Work will be conducted on one carriageway at a time.
Closure information:
❗ Monday 26th June to Friday 7th July – full overnight closures of the A20 to coastbound between Court Wood, interchange and Western Heights roundabout from 8 pm until 6 am the following morning.
❗ Monday 10 to Wednesday 19th July and Monday 24 to Wednesday 26 July – full overnight closures of the A20 London bound from Western Heights roundabout to Court Wood interchange from 8 pm until 6 am the following morning.
A diversion will be in place via the B2011 and a256.
❗ Western Heights roundabout will also be closed overnight on Thursday 29 and Friday 30 June, and again overnight on Monday 3rd and Tuesday 4th July
by Germany: night traffic restrictions on the A7
Due to the reconstruction of the A7 motorway near Hamburg, traffic at night will be restricted on the section between the junctions Bahrenfeld (28) and Volkspark (27).
From 9:00 PM on Thursday (15.06) to 5:00 AM on Friday (16.06):
• northbound traffic (in the direction of Flensburg) will continue along one lane;
• drivers are obliged to follow the diversion route U 31 to Volkspark junction (27)
Drivers can also use the junctions at Stellingen (26) and Othmarschen (29), where traffic continues in both directions!
by A strike in Greek ports on May 1
The Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation (PNO) has announced a 24-hour strike on May 1 to mark Labout Day.
As a result, all ships in Greek ports will remain docked.
by No HGV traffic through Lüdenscheid: the police will monitor compliance
On June 10, the town of Lüdenscheid banned all vehicles with a GVW of more than 3.5 tonnes from passing through the town. Since June 12 the district police has been monitoring compliance with the ban, which they are planning to continue for several weeks.
The ban was introduced to mitigate the effects of the closure of the BAB 45 motorway on December 2, 2021. The situation has not only affected residents living near the diversion or alternative routes but also commuters as well as local businesses.
The ban applies to all vehicles with a GVW of over 3.5 tonnes. After obtaining a special permit, the town can only be accessed by vehicles performing regional transport operations (the first and the next loading point are no more than 75 km apart) as well as those that set out from or deliver goods to Lüdenscheid.
For the first few weeks since the introduction of the ban, the local police will intensively check if drivers comply with the ban. It is estimated that around 5,500 vehicle subject to the HGV road levy (with a GVW of over 7,5 tonnes) will pass through checkpoints every working day. In addition, there is a still unknown number of vehicles that are not subject to the HGV road levy. Cars with trailers that are used for commercial purposes and weigh more than 3.5 tons can also be affected by the ban.
Drivers who fail to observe the ban face a fine of 100 euros plus an administrative fee (no penalty points). However, being turned back and having to take a long detour is likely to be a much more severe punishment.
The police checks take place primarily at the following locations:
– Lüdenscheid North, in the area of the L 692
– Brunscheider Straße in the area of the Lüdenscheid junction center
– Lüdenscheid-Süd junction
– Lüdenscheid Bruges (B 54, B 229)
by Closures of the Mont Blanc Tunnel in June and July
Since June 14, traffic in the Mont Blanc tunnel will be temporarily affected by complete closures associated with renovation works on two 300-meter sections of the tunnel.
June
• 14 June 11:30 PM to 16 June 06:00 AM (30 hrs 30 mins),
• 19/20 June, from 7:30 PM-06:00 AM (10 hrs 30 mins),
• 20/ 21 June, from 7:30 PM-06:00 AM (10 hrs 30 mins),
• 21/ 22 June, from 7:30 PM-06:00 AM (10 hrs 30 mins),
• 22/23 June, from 7:30 PM-06:00 AM (10 hrs 30 mins),
• 26/27 June, from 7:00 PM-06:00 AM (11 hrs),
• 28/ 29 June, from 22:00 PM to 06:00 AM (8 hrs);
• 29/30 June, from 22:00 PM to 06:00 AM (8 hrs).
July
• 3/4 July, from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM (8 hrs)
• 4/5 July, from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM (8 hrs)
• 5/6 July, from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM (8 hrs)
• 6/7 July, from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM (8 hrs)
There will be 15 weeks of disruptions in the tunnel from August 4 to December 18.
by England: night closures of M6 and M42
The closures will take place between 14 and 19 June, from 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM.
National Highways is advising drivers to plan their journeys with the M6 in Warwickshire fully closed overnight for HS2 works. Lorry drivers are advised to follow the official diversion signs.
M6
The M6 northbound carriageway will be closed from 14 June until 19 June from 9pm to 5am between Junction 4 (Coleshill) and Junction 4a (Water Orton).
❗ Diversion
Northbound traffic on the M6 will be directed to exit at junction 4 onto the A446 to junction 9 of the M42. Traffic will then be directed south down the M42 exiting at junction 8 then back on to the northbound carriageway of the M6
M42
The M42 northbound will also be closed at junction 7 onto the M6 northbound from the same time and dates.
❗ Diversion
Traffic wishing to exit the M42 on to the northbound carriageway of the M6 will be directed up to junction 9 of the M42 then back down the southbound carriageway of the M42 exiting at junction 8 back onto the M6 northbound.
by Get in touch with your ferry operator – potetial disurption at Border controls in Calais, Dunkirk and Coquelles
The Public and Commercial Service (PCS) union has announced Civil Service industrial action that will impact Border Force operations.
The strike, scheduled to take place on April 28 and 29 until 7am, will impact those travelling to the UK from UK Border controls in Calais, Dunkirk and Coquelles in Northern France.
Hauliers who are moving goods during the proposed strike action should be prepared for potential disruption and longer queues at Ports and Inland Border Facilities.
Please check with your operator before travelling, be prepared for delays and carefully plan your movements if they coincide with days of strike action.
by Germany – exception to the ban on Corpus Christi in Saxony
In contrast to North Rhine-Westphalia, the holiday driving ban, as set out in Article 30 paragraph 3 of the Road Traffic Act (StVO), does not apply in Lower Saxony on Corpus Christi.
By way of derogation from Article 30, paragraph 3, sentence 1 and paragraph 4 of StVO, lorries and tractors with trailers with a GVW of more than 7.5 tons may be used for commercial transport of goods, including empty journeys, between 00:00 and 10:00PM on Corpus Christi on the following routes:
Motorway A1: From the Lotte/Osnabrück intersection across part of Lower Saxony to the border between North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony in the area of the Osnabrück-Nord junction and in the opposite direction.
Motorway A2: From the Bad Oeynhausen intersection to the border between North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony in the area of the Bad Eilsen junction and in the opposite direction.
Motorway A30: From the border between Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia in the area of the Rheine-Nord junction to the border between North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony in the area of the Hasbergen-Gaste junction and from the border between Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia in the area of the Bruchmühlen junction to the motorway junction Bad Oeynhausen (Autobahn A 2) and in the opposite direction.
by Hungary introduces night-time exemptions from the HGV driving ban during the Pentacost weekend
The Hungarian Ministry of Transport has approved night-time breaks in the driving ban for vehicles with a GVW above 7.5t during the Pentecost weekend.
Consequently, HGVs will be allowed to drive:
• from 10:00 PM on Saturday, May 27 to 6:00 AM on Sunday, May 28;
• from 10:00 PM on Sunday, May 28, to 6:00 AM on Monday, May 29.
The driving ban will apply as follows:
• on May 28 (Pentecost Sunday) from 06:00 AM to 10:00 PM;
• on May 29 (Whit Monday) from 06:00 AM to 10:00 PM.