No Deal Brexit - the M26

[Euan]

Operation Brock - activated

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-47668926

When I saw then constructing this, I can see this being a permanent fixture, with no intention of removing it.

If that was to be the case would the contraflow section of the M20 still be able to be regarded as a true motorway without the other carriageway or would it encourage more of the port traffic to use the M2/A2 instead?

[Gav]

Would be still a motorway - afterall its a term given to a road that is restricted to specific classes of traffic, and not to the physical construction of the road.

remember this is only transitionary until we have the right procedures in place for crossing to Europe then it will be back to business as usual.

[LeedsKing]

https://highwaysengland.co.uk/wp-conten ... ap-v15.pdf
https://highwaysengland.co.uk/OperationBrock/

[DB617]

https://highwaysengland.co.uk/wp-conten ... ap-v15.pdf
https://highwaysengland.co.uk/OperationBrock/

Drivers not heading to the ports
(Phase 1)
Use any available major route. If you use the A20, you can use the right-hand lane. You may be stopped at traffic lights and asked to prove you’re not heading to the ports.

Anyone care to inquire how exactly one would prove that they are not going to the ports? Because they left that one... rather open.

They've done well to prepare measures in time but they're not complete by any stretch. I wonder if facilities will be provided and rest taken into account for the trapped HGV staff.

[A303Chris]

Reading this full press release from the HE , it indicates that when Operation Brock isn't in use, and j8 to J9 of the M20 is returned to 3 lanes the 50mph speed limit will remain in place. That is going to be one hell of a slog at 50mph

[M4 Cardiff]

https://highwaysengland.co.uk/wp-conten ... ap-v15.pdf
https://highwaysengland.co.uk/OperationBrock/

Drivers not heading to the ports
(Phase 1)
Use any available major route. If you use the A20, you can use the right-hand lane. You may be stopped at traffic lights and asked to prove you’re not heading to the ports.

Anyone care to inquire how exactly one would prove that they are not going to the ports? Because they left that one... rather open.

They've done well to prepare measures in time but they're not complete by any stretch. I wonder if facilities will be provided and rest taken into account for the trapped HGV staff.

Don't most HGV drivers have some kind of delivery ticket or paperwork? I assume that if so, this is what would be checked. No delivery ticket or works instruction, no access?

[Euan]

Would be still a motorway - afterall its a term given to a road that is restricted to specific classes of traffic, and not to the physical construction of the road.

remember this is only transitionary until we have the right procedures in place for crossing to Europe then it will be back to business as usual.

Yes, there is no doubt that the road would still officially be a motorway. It's just a question of whether the potential disruption would put non-HGV drivers off using the route if its capacity was reduced. In which case the M2 (or at least part of it) might be seen as a reasonable alternative for reaching the channel.

[DB617]

https://highwaysengland.co.uk/wp-conten ... ap-v15.pdf
https://highwaysengland.co.uk/OperationBrock/

Drivers not heading to the ports
(Phase 1)
Use any available major route. If you use the A20, you can use the right-hand lane. You may be stopped at traffic lights and asked to prove you’re not heading to the ports.

Anyone care to inquire how exactly one would prove that they are not going to the ports? Because they left that one... rather open.

They've done well to prepare measures in time but they're not complete by any stretch. I wonder if facilities will be provided and rest taken into account for the trapped HGV staff.

Don't most HGV drivers have some kind of delivery ticket or paperwork? I assume that if so, this is what would be checked. No delivery ticket or works instruction, no access?

I thought this included private vehicles, for some reason, rather than HGVs like the rest of the document...

[Darren]

A video report showing the M20 as it now stands is available here:

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/ashford/ne ... ew-201489/

[Euan]

It sounds sensible to review the contraflow system once a week with the possibility of removing it over the coming weekend of that week - I would imagine that there wouldn't be any other way of removing the system without causing massive disruption to traffic flow and you never know how long it might be needed for.

[AndyB]

Removing the contraflow is the easy bit. Reopen the closed carriageway with IPV to protect while moving the cones to the side, and then use the J8 crossover to move the cones on the citybound carriageway to the central reservation.

It's putting the cones back out which is the big problem.

[Johnathan404]

The last few posts have been about the M20. Is there any update on the M26?

[Berk]

What happens if Brexit is considerably delayed?? We’re all assuming it’s just around the corner, but it might not happen this year at all.

[rhyds]

These are the current circuits in the UK:

Aintree Motor Racing Circuit, Aintree
Anglesey Circuit, Aberffraw, Anglesey
Bedford Autodrome, Bedfordshire
Blyton, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire
Brands Hatch, Fawkham, Kent
Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire
Capital Karts, London
Castle Combe Circuit, Castle Combe, Wiltshire
Circuit of Wales, Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent
Croft Circuit, North Yorkshire
Darley Moor, Derbyshire
Donington Park, Leicestershire
East Fortune, East Lothian
Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit, West Sussex
Kirkistown Circuit, County Down
Knockhill, Fife
Llandow Circuit, Vale of Glamorgan
Lydden, Canterbury, Kent
Mallory Park, Leicestershire
Nutts Corner, Belfast
Oliver's Mount, North Yorkshire
Oulton Park, Cheshire
Pembrey Circuit, Pembrey, Carmarthenshire
Rockingham Motor Speedway, Corby, Northamptonshire
Santa Pod Raceway, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire
Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire
Snetterton Circuit, Norfolk
Thruxton, Hampshire
Tonfanau, Gwynedd

These vary from full-size full-facility tarmac circuits to small circuits associated with horse racetracks. And I'm not sure that they're all open - I understood that Rockingham was on the brink of closure, for example.

I'm assuming this is an old Wikipedia list (even looking at the original post date), as many of those venues can't/don't host 4-wheel events any more (Aintree, Tonfanau), are Drag Strips (Santa Pod), have since closed (Rockingham) or have never actually existed (Circuit of Wales). If we take the British Touring Car Championship as the most infrastructure intensive 4-wheel racing series in the UK, it's using the following Circuits in 2019:

Brands Hatch, Kent
Donington Park, Leics
Thruxton, Hampshire
Croft, North Yorkshire
Oulton Park, Cheshire
Snetterton, Norfolk
Knockhill, Fife
Silverstone, Northants

Alan Gow, the TOCA/BTCC director is on record as saying that they currently visit every track in the UK with the facilities to host them, so we can assume that this is a list of the most promising UK venues for any alternative British GP venue.

As for moving the British GP, the problem is that no other site in the UK has the trackside infrastructure to host F1 racing, and, equally importantly, the ability to handle helicopter movements to and from the circuit. Donnington's got no chance due to its proximity to East Midlands airport for example, and the other "top tier" venues like Oulton Park or Croft equally don't have the facilities for the crowds or the media/publicity junket. Bernie knew this, but would threaten the BARC/Silverstone with moving the event every now and again just to keep them on their toes and force them to spend on upgrades. I'm not sure how Liberty Media will be, but the fact is that the British GP can't realistically go anywhere but Silverstone.

[rhyds]

So close to home too, how could I?

Bring back the Superprix. Although given all the sockets for barriers are still there along with the Halfords Hairpin it seemingly never went away.

Resurrection of the race in some form is occasionally mooted, and yes, the infrastructure for the hairpin is still very evident. But then it all goes quiet again. The old circuit isn't completely useable any more, in particular the Bristol St/Middleway junction is now having a cycle route added and the temporary (as in moveable by hoist) islands were made permanent some time ago. I can't see it coming back. It's been nearly 30 years now.

Of course they never ran F1 around Birmingham, just the Saloon Cars and some lower formula (F3 I think?). I doubt you'd get a circuit complaint with modern F1 requirements in to Birmingham city centre these days.

[Chris Bertram]

Bring back the Superprix. Although given all the sockets for barriers are still there along with the Halfords Hairpin it seemingly never went away.

Resurrection of the race in some form is occasionally mooted, and yes, the infrastructure for the hairpin is still very evident. But then it all goes quiet again. The old circuit isn't completely useable any more, in particular the Bristol St/Middleway junction is now having a cycle route added and the temporary (as in moveable by hoist) islands were made permanent some time ago. I can't see it coming back. It's been nearly 30 years now.

Of course they never ran F1 around Birmingham, just the Saloon Cars and some lower formula (F3 I think?). I doubt you'd get a circuit complaint with modern F1 requirements in to Birmingham city centre these days.

It was F3, I think. I went for the 1989 running, Jean Alesi won, he later had a reasonable career in F1 (only 1 win, but 32 podium finishes in an era when Schumacher was dominant), racing for Tyrrell, Ferrari, Benetton, Sauber and others.

[Chris5156]

Removing the contraflow is the easy bit. Reopen the closed carriageway with IPV to protect while moving the cones to the side, and then use the J8 crossover to move the cones on the citybound carriageway to the central reservation.

It's putting the cones back out which is the big problem.

Trouble is, it's not cones, it's a continuous metal barrier which has been bolted to the carriageway, and the road markings have all been burned off and relaid in new positions. When I visited I got the very strong impression that this is not something that's going to be set out and taken away on a whim; if I had to guess I'd say it's here for months at least and won't be removed until Highways England are certain they won't need to set it out again.

The press release says the M20 could be restored to three lanes each way operating with a 50 limit - my guess is that coastbound would return to normal, with the traffic management for the queueing system removed, but the barrier and altered markings would remain in place on the Londonbound carriageway, meaning the 50 limit would remain in force. But in all honesty, I think that's unlikely. I'd like to be proved wrong!

[Berk]

Removing the contraflow is the easy bit. Reopen the closed carriageway with IPV to protect while moving the cones to the side, and then use the J8 crossover to move the cones on the citybound carriageway to the central reservation.

It's putting the cones back out which is the big problem.

Trouble is, it's not cones, it's a continuous metal barrier which has been bolted to the carriageway, and the road markings have all been burned off and relaid in new positions. When I visited I got the very strong impression that this is not something that's going to be set out and taken away on a whim; if I had to guess I'd say it's here for months at least and won't be removed until Highways England are certain they won't need to set it out again.

The press release says the M20 could be restored to three lanes each way operating with a 50 limit - my guess is that coastbound would return to normal, with the traffic management for the queueing system removed, but the barrier and altered markings would remain in place on the Londonbound carriageway, meaning the 50 limit would remain in force. But in all honesty, I think that's unlikely. I'd like to be proved wrong!

What would the configuration be like in that situation then?? D3 both ways??

[A9NWIL]

Removing the contraflow is the easy bit. Reopen the closed carriageway with IPV to protect while moving the cones to the side, and then use the J8 crossover to move the cones on the citybound carriageway to the central reservation.

It's putting the cones back out which is the big problem.

Trouble is, it's not cones, it's a continuous metal barrier which has been bolted to the carriageway, and the road markings have all been burned off and relaid in new positions. When I visited I got the very strong impression that this is not something that's going to be set out and taken away on a whim; if I had to guess I'd say it's here for months at least and won't be removed until Highways England are certain they won't need to set it out again.

The press release says the M20 could be restored to three lanes each way operating with a 50 limit - my guess is that coastbound would return to normal, with the traffic management for the queueing system removed, but the barrier and altered markings would remain in place on the Londonbound carriageway, meaning the 50 limit would remain in force. But in all honesty, I think that's unlikely. I'd like to be proved wrong!

What would the configuration be like in that situation then?? D3 both ways??

If the barrier on the London bound carriageway was left in place then it would have to be a 2+1 arrangement there, with the other carriageway D3M as normal.

[Darren]

Brock's off to a good start...

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/maidstone/ ... ic-201582/

The comments are interesting. This one stands out:

"Came thru in the opposite direction yesterday 9-8 was a nightmare with foreign trucks going thru on the limiter in the second lane tailgating any thing in the way Then one ran out of tallent and side swiped a van sending it up the van the bank hitting a tree stump and dragging all the wires for the cameras with it ... then the truck disappeared into the distance . Its should be one normal lane and one narrow to slow them down"