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Traffic chaos in Kent

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  • Macronate
    Macronate Posts: 12,892
    Got caught in it earlier, took over an hour and a half from before J30 to get to the other side of the bridge 😡
  • Chippycafc
    Chippycafc Posts: 14,147
    In this weather too
  • ME14addick
    ME14addick Posts: 9,761
    edited July 2022
    Operation Brock is set to be put back in place tonight and tomorrow night. In truth it never really went away, because both carriageways have been reduced to 2 lanes with 50mph limit between junction 8 & 9 for what seems like an eternity.

    It is madness for the county which carries the most traffic to and from Europe, to have its main motorway turned into a lorry park every few weeks. 
  • Saga Lout
    Saga Lout Posts: 6,845
    I read on Kent Online (I think it was) that there will be overnight closures whilst they install permanent storage on the central reservation for the barrier. It's now a permanent solution to what was supposed to be a temporary problem, so despite what the politicians say these problems are not going away anytime soon.
  • ME14addick
    ME14addick Posts: 9,761
    Saga Lout said:
    I read on Kent Online (I think it was) that there will be overnight closures whilst they install permanent storage on the central reservation for the barrier. It's now a permanent solution to what was supposed to be a temporary problem, so despite what the politicians say these problems are not going away anytime soon.
    They have been working on moving the concrete barrier onto the central reservation and that was forecast to take a year to do!  It does mean that they think Brock is a permanent solution to problems at Dover & Eurotunnel which is crazy.

    Unfortunately those problems are going to continue due to the increased checks needed to get onto the ferries and trains after leaving the EU. Brock is going to be in place from this week until the end of the school holidays.


  • killerandflash
    killerandflash Posts: 69,846
    Gridlock crossing the Dartford bridge Saturday lunchtime
    Gridlock crossing the Blackwall Tunnel northbound tonight (closed due to a broken down vehicle)...
  • thickandthin63
    thickandthin63 Posts: 2,955
    What about getting out of the Dartford FC car park on saturday.
  • ME14addick
    ME14addick Posts: 9,761
    For anyone thinking of travelling in Kent this weekend, be prepared for long delays due to the problems in Dover & Folkestone.

    With Operation Brock in place, it is having a knock on effect for all major routes to the coast and the M20 and M2 are bad even away from the ports.
  • Bailey
    Bailey Posts: 3,265
    Waiting for Nadine Dorries to blame the traffic chaos in Dover on a remainers plot.
  • soapy_jones
    soapy_jones Posts: 21,353
    Waiting for more drivel from every side of the arguement.
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  • ME14addick
    ME14addick Posts: 9,761
    Waiting for more drivel from every side of the arguement.
    Whatever the reasons and they are many, Kent is being badly affected by problems at the port.  It not only affects the people travelling through the county to reach Europe, but local businesses are affected too, as it makes getting around so difficult.
  • golfaddick
    golfaddick Posts: 33,628
    Did I read correctly that there was going to be a "go slow" protest on the M25 today. Anti-clockwise  between J4 & The Dartford Crossing.
  • man_at_milletts
    man_at_milletts Posts: 5,620
    edited July 2022
    Waiting for more drivel from every side of the arguement.
    Whatever the reasons and they are many, Kent is being badly affected by problems at the port.  It not only affects the people travelling through the county to reach Europe, but local businesses are affected too, as it makes getting around so difficult.

    It's an absolute fkn nightmare down here when this happens. I'm 10 miles out of Dover and I doubt if our village will have any busses today as they just can't get through Dover town to complete the journey. Strange how it happens on the same weekend every year.

    Still, Natalie will sort it!
  • ForeverAddickted
    ForeverAddickted Posts: 94,318
    Did I read correctly that there was going to be a "go slow" protest on the M25 today. Anti-clockwise  between J4 & The Dartford Crossing.
    Normal day for that section of the M25 then.
  • ME14addick
    ME14addick Posts: 9,761
    edited July 2022
    Waiting for more drivel from every side of the arguement.
    Whatever the reasons and they are many, Kent is being badly affected by problems at the port.  It not only affects the people travelling through the county to reach Europe, but local businesses are affected too, as it makes getting around so difficult.

    It's an absolute fkn nightmare down here when this happens. I'm 10 miles out of Dover and I doubt if our village will have any busses today as they just can't get through Dover town to complete the journey. Strange how it happens on the same weekend every year.

    Still, Natalie will sort it!
    I didn't lol your post for the problems it is causing to people like you, it was the ironic Natalie part!

  • It has always been chaos  at Dover the first weekend of the school holidays. Nothing new. Used to take the midnight boat back in the day to avoid this problem and well into France by dawn.
  • ME14addick
    ME14addick Posts: 9,761
    It has always been chaos  at Dover the first weekend of the school holidays. Nothing new. Used to take the midnight boat back in the day to avoid this problem and well into France by dawn.
    The chaos currently being experienced in Kent is way beyond anything seen for the start of the school holidays in the past.

    Apparently there are 12 passport booths at Dover, to stamp the passport of every traveller going onto a ferry, the same problems are being experienced at Eurotunnel. Even if it takes a few seconds more to stamp a passport, rather than wave it through, with thousands of travellers that is going to increase the time taken to get through passport control.
  • Agreed, the Port of Dover cannot cope with the sheer volume of traffic attempting to travel, apparenty 10,000 units expected today. I always found the British Border Force Control took more time than the French  who couldn't really be arsed to even open their window to wave you through. On many occasions we were randomly searched on our way out, wearing a Charlton shirt probably triggered their reaction.
  • Covered End
    Covered End Posts: 52,006
    The problem yesterday (and possibly today) is lack of staff by the French, who were blaming the lack on Covid.
  • ME14addick
    ME14addick Posts: 9,761
    Television reports today suggest that the passport booths are fully staffed today.
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  • guinnessaddick
    guinnessaddick Posts: 28,628
    edited July 2022

  • HandG
    HandG Posts: 2,134
    The problem yesterday (and possibly today) is lack of staff by the French, who were blaming the lack on Covid.
    Does that explain why it’s taken me and my family eight hours (and counting!) to get on the train at Folkestone? We’ve moved 1.5 miles in just under seven of those hours. Have those lazy Frenchmen overslept here as well or could there be bigger issues to blame? 🤔🤔


  • man_at_milletts
    man_at_milletts Posts: 5,620
    Waiting for more drivel from every side of the arguement.
    Whatever the reasons and they are many, Kent is being badly affected by problems at the port.  It not only affects the people travelling through the county to reach Europe, but local businesses are affected too, as it makes getting around so difficult.

    It's an absolute fkn nightmare down here when this happens. I'm 10 miles out of Dover and I doubt if our village will have any busses today as they just can't get through Dover town to complete the journey. Strange how it happens on the same weekend every year.

    Still, Natalie will sort it!
    I didn't lol your post for the problems it is causing to people like you, it was the ironic Natalie part!


    Thank you ME14 for clearing that up ;-)  Natalie will have her hands full trying to ressurect the bus services which are being cut round here and the majority of Kent over the next few months, so I will cut her some slack.  Not much tho'...

  • Siv_in_Norfolk
    Siv_in_Norfolk Posts: 4,057
    Is this the first summer holiday since properly leaving the EU and not having freedom of movement, and which hasn't been hit by Covid?


  • ME14addick
    ME14addick Posts: 9,761
    Waiting for more drivel from every side of the arguement.
    Whatever the reasons and they are many, Kent is being badly affected by problems at the port.  It not only affects the people travelling through the county to reach Europe, but local businesses are affected too, as it makes getting around so difficult.

    It's an absolute fkn nightmare down here when this happens. I'm 10 miles out of Dover and I doubt if our village will have any busses today as they just can't get through Dover town to complete the journey. Strange how it happens on the same weekend every year.

    Still, Natalie will sort it!
    I didn't lol your post for the problems it is causing to people like you, it was the ironic Natalie part!


    Thank you ME14 for clearing that up ;-)  Natalie will have her hands full trying to ressurect the bus services which are being cut round here and the majority of Kent over the next few months, so I will cut her some slack.  Not much tho'...

    Stupid woman hasn't got a clue.
  • ME14addick
    ME14addick Posts: 9,761
    Is this the first summer holiday since properly leaving the EU and not having freedom of movement, and which hasn't been hit by Covid?


    Yes it is.
  • Even when we were in the EU It took a minute or two to check passports. Having satisfied themselves that you were ok, they were handed back. Putting a rubber stamp takes a nano second so lets not use that as an excuse.  Have the ferry  companies oversold tickets?, are people turning up without any? Somebody said they were in the queue this morning and the check-in didn't open till 7.30 at Dover. All the luvies using twitter are applauding the French for 'taking control of their borders'. Shame they can't control their Borders to stop the queue jumpers paying god knows how much to come across the Channel.
  • golfaddick
    golfaddick Posts: 33,628
    edited July 2022
    Waiting for more drivel from every side of the arguement.
    Whatever the reasons and they are many, Kent is being badly affected by problems at the port.  It not only affects the people travelling through the county to reach Europe, but local businesses are affected too, as it makes getting around so difficult.

    It's an absolute fkn nightmare down here when this happens. I'm 10 miles out of Dover and I doubt if our village will have any busses today as they just can't get through Dover town to complete the journey. Strange how it happens on the same weekend every year.

    Still, Natalie will sort it!
    I didn't lol your post for the problems it is causing to people like you, it was the ironic Natalie part!


    Thank you ME14 for clearing that up ;-)  Natalie will have her hands full trying to ressurect the bus services which are being cut round here and the majority of Kent over the next few months, so I will cut her some slack.  Not much tho'...

    Yes, the bus services !!  Will have to start a separate  thread about this but we have just recently found out that the 477 from Orpington to Dartford is being axed from October. Earlier this year it stopped going to Bluewater & at the same time had the last one leave Dartford around 6pm. SIX !! Someone people are only just leaving their desks in London at that time. 

    No idea now how my 2 kids are going to get to College (N Kent). Living in Swanley there is no direct train line to Dartford & the 477 was the only real route to Dartford. 

    Oh.....and the powers that be want us to get  out of our cars and onto public transport. Please send a destinction rebellion/climate change activist my way & I'll soon put them straight. This is why you wont get net zero  EVER. 

    Gah  !!
  • So how long did you queue for?. The thing with the Brexit vote was for the United Kingdom to chose which party would govern the Country. Not some unelected body of politicians that would decide what was best for France and Germany and sod the rest. You don't like Tory scum you can vote them out, you want Labour, you vote them in. Its called controlling as much as is possible, the way you want Your country to be governed. 
    So in your eyes I'm a muppet and that's your problem. Always have to denigrate somebody with a different point of view. Have a happy weekend