by Quiet zone’ to be trialled on A20 in Kent
National Highways is to trial a ‘quiet zone’ on the A20 near Aycliffe in Kent in a bid to reduce noise pollution when the A20 TAP is holding cross channel freight heading to the Port of Dover.
The ‘quiet zone’ will run along a 1.3km stretch of the coastbound A20 leading up to the Port of Dover from the Courtwood interchange to Western Heights roundabout. HGV drivers will be informed that they should not use their horns between 11:30pm and 7am.
From the end of this week signs will be in place along the A20 to inform drivers of the ‘quiet zone’. National Highways will also be sharing the news with haulage groups and ferry operators, as well as working with Kent police to provide additional visibility and where necessary enforcement. Any HGVs not complying with the signage risk a fine of £60.
The Operation Brock contraflow system is currently also in place on the M20 in Kent ahead of the summer holidays and expected high passenger numbers. All HGVs heading for the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel must follow the signs to join Operation Brock at M20 junction 8.
Any EU-bound HGVs not complying with signage and trying to use another route to Eurotunnel or the Port of Dover risk a fine of £300. They will also be sent to the back of the queue by Police or enforcement agents, wasting time, fuel, and money. This includes trying to bypass the M20 by using the M2/A2 at Brenley Corner. All other coast bound traffic – including local freight and car drivers heading for the continent – should follow the signs and cross over to enter the contraflow on the M20 London bound carriageway.
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 Belarus bans the use of trailers and semi-trailers registered in Poland
The ban comes into effect on July 3 and also applies to lorries performing international transport of goods in Belarus.
Affected vehicles are only allowed to move along the Belarusian-Polish section of the border. Polish trailers and semi-trailers may are allowed to enter places specially designated for for the purpose of reloading transported goods. A similar ban introduced in April 2022, applied to tractors registered in EU countries.
The measure comes in response to new restrictions imposed by Poland on June 1, which have extended the list of types of Belarusian and Russian HGV categories that are prohibited from entering the Polish territory.
by Romania introduces additional driving bans in response to a heatwave
The bans apply to vehicles with a GVW of over 7.5 t on sections of national roads in selected districts.
The ban is in effect between July 17 and 19 from 12:00 to 8:00 PM on sections of national roads in the districts of Teleorman, Dâmbovița, Argeș, Prahova, Giurgiu, Ilfov, Olt, Dolj, Mehedinți, Gorj, Vâlcea, Arad, Timiș, Caraş Severin, Bihor, Vrancea, Galati, Buzău, Brăila, Ialomița, Calarasi. ❗ On sections of expressways and motorways managed by CNAIR SA, traffic continues without any restrictions.
The ban does not apply to:
• passenger transport;
• transport of live animals and perishable products of animal and vegetable origin;
• vehicles involved in emergency operations;
• funeral transports;
• postal transports;
• transport of first aid equipment;
• fuel distribution;
• transport of goods in controlled temperature;
• vehicles towing damaged vehicles;
• transports of water and food to disaster-stricken areas;
• transport of sanitary equipment in the construction industry by specialized vehicles used;
• transports of bottled water;
• transports of farm products;
• military transports taking part in multinational exercises.
by Temporary closures of the Roertunnel and Swalmen Tunnel – work schedule and diversion routes
Owing to maintenance work on the A73 in the Netherlands both tunnels need to be partially or completely closed on a number of occasions during the period until October 30.
The A73 is the key north-south connection between Venlo (Zaarderheiken junction) and the A2 near Echt-Susteren (Het Vonderen junction). Almost 50,000 vehicles use both tunnels every day.
Closure dates and times:
➡ the tunnels on the northbound A73 (from Maastricht to Venlo) will be closed from 9:00 PM on Friday, July 14, to 9:00 PM on Friday, August 4,
➡ the tunnels will be completely closed in both directions from 9:00 PM on Friday, August 4 to 9:00 AM on Saturday, August 5,
➡ the tunnels on the southbound A73 (from Venlo to Maastricht) will be closed from 9:00 AM on Saturday, August 5, to 9:00 PM on Friday, August 25,
➡ the tunnels will be completely closed in both directions from 9:00 PM on Friday, August 25, to 6:00 AM on Monday, August 28, and from 9:00 PM on Friday, September 1, 6:00 AM on Monday, September 4,
➡ work on the tunnels will be continued in October and in the summer of 2024.
Diversion routes:
➡ during the closure from July 14 to August 5
➡ during the closure from 4 to 25 August
➡ during the closure from August 25-28, September 1-4, October 27-30
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 A2 closure at Whitfield for bridge installation
Where possible, traffic heading to or from the Port of Dover is recommended to use the A20/M20.
A key milestone in construction of Fastrack takes place on the weekend of Friday 14 to Monday 17 July as a new 31.5m span bridge is installed across the A2 at Whitfield.
A short stretch of the A2 from the Whitfield roundabout to the Whitfield interchange (A256 junction) will be closed to all traffic from 9.00pm on Friday, 14 July to 5.00am on Monday, 17 July.
There will be a signed diversion via the White Cliffs Business Park (Honeywood Road and Honeywood Parkway) during the works to install the bridge. Where possible, traffic heading to or from the Port of Dover is recommended to use the A20/M20.
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 Operation Brock contraflow is back
The Operation Brock contraflow system on the M20 in Kent will be deployed from Friday 14 July ahead of the summer holidays and expected high passenger numbers.
Operation Brock is part of a series of measures to improve Kent’s resilience and ensure the smooth flow of traffic through the region in the event of disruption to services across the English Channel.
To ensure safe deployment of the contraflow system, the M20 will be closed as follows:
• 9pm Tuesday 11 July to 6am Wednesday 12 July: Coast bound carriageway between junction 9 and junction 8
• 8pm Thursday 13 July to 6am Friday 14 July: London bound carriageway between junction 9 and junction 8, coast bound carriageway between junction 7 and junction 9
Fully signed diversion routes will be place while the M20 is closed overnight. These times have been chosen to minimise disruption to road users. When the M20 reopens at 6am on Friday 14 July, the Operation Brock contraflow will be in place and all signs and signals should be followed.
Once the barrier is in place, all HGVs heading for the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel must follow the signs to join Operation Brock at M20 junction 8.
Any EU-bound HGVs not complying with signage and trying to use another route to Eurotunnel or the Port of Dover risk a fine of £300. They will also be sent to the back of the queue by Police or enforcement agents, wasting time, fuel, and money. This includes trying to bypass the M20 by using the M2/A2 at Brenley Corner. All other coast bound traffic – including local freight and car drivers heading for the continent – should follow the signs and cross over to enter the contraflow on the M20 London bound carriageway.
Anyone planning to use Eurotunnel and the Port of Dover are advised to plan their journeys and check with the travel operator before setting out. They should also allow more time for their journeys and make sure they are prepared for delays, so should have plenty of fuel, warm clothes, and supplies such as food and drink. The contraflow is expected to be in place for two weeks.
by Lithuania reintroduces border controls with Poland and Latvia
The measure is connected with the NATO summit held in Vilnius from 11 to 12 July. Border checks start today, July 7, and will continue until July.
When crossing the internal border, travellers should carry with them:
a) personal travel documents:
• identity cards or passports (citizens of EU countries),
• passports and visas (non-EU nationals) if they are obliged to have a visa (or other documents enabling them to enter the territory of Schengen countries, such as temporary or permanent residence permits)
b) documents of the vehicle.
Because of internal border controls, journeys could potentially take longer, but travellers should not experience any major inconveniences as a result.
Border controls will also be introduced at airports for passengers of flights between countries of the Schengen area and at border crossings in seaports as well as for people crossing the land border with Poland and Latvia. Depending on the situation and potential threats, border checks will be conducted selectively based on a risk analysis at any time of the day. Temporary infrastructure will be used, including road signs and barriers to regulate traffic.