No Deal Brexit - the M26

[andrewwoods]

The BBC South news yesterday said that the closure would be between 8 and 9, with traffic diverted down the A33 and back on at J9. leaving that section of the M3 as a lorry park, which is almost a complete reversal of the situation in 1944, where part of the A33 was used as a tank storage area.

[Johnathan404]

The main problem here is that Portsmouth can only stack 14 lorries before they would start to block Rudmore Roundabout, and before long the M275.

I wonder if the unused sliproad at M27 J9 could be brought in to play? It can't handle very many lorries at all, but it could triple Portsmouth's 14. You'd just need to create a gap in the barrier, which has been done before when works vehicles have been stored there.

The BBC South news yesterday said that the closure would be between 8 and 9, with traffic diverted down the A33 and back on at J9. leaving that section of the M3 as a lorry park, which is almost a complete reversal of the situation in 1944, where part of the A33 was used as a tank storage area.

For a moment I thought this sounded like a much better idea. Use the local road for parking. But of course the M3 can handle four lines of trucks with two lanes for emergency use, while most of the A33 could only take one with questions about how local access would work.

[andrewwoods]

The main problem here is that Portsmouth can only stack 14 lorries before they would start to block Rudmore Roundabout, and before long the M275.

I assume that they will release them from the M3 lorry park in platoons of 14 at a time

[roadtester]

On the Andrew Marr show this morning, Marr raised the question with Brexit secretary Steve Barclay what the stacking arrangements are for Portsmouth are - Portsmouth having been designated as a/the relief for Dover.

Apparently the M3 will be used.

[Johnathan404]

Apparently the M3 will be used.

I didn't see this. Did he say this was actually the plan because the DfT and DExEU have been denying it all week.

Highways England have said they haven't heard of the plan and would have a number of concerns if it was suggested.

[Berk]

The main problem here is that Portsmouth can only stack 14 lorries before they would start to block Rudmore Roundabout, and before long the M275.

I wonder if the unused sliproad at M27 J9 could be brought in to play? It can't handle very many lorries at all, but it could triple Portsmouth's 14. You'd just need to create a gap in the barrier, which has been done before when works vehicles have been stored there.

Why is that slip road unused??

[roadtester]

Apparently the M3 will be used.

I didn't see this. Did he say this was actually the plan because the DfT and DExEU have been denying it all week.

Highways England have said they haven't heard of the plan and would have a number of concerns if it was suggested.

Marr said it rather than Barclay. Sounded like it had been researched, rather than something he just casually said.

[frediculous_biggs]

Santa Pod Raceway, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire

This isn't a circuit, but a drag strip!


It seems amazing to me that there hasn't been any kind of planning for this. If the M26 (or M20, M3 etc) is to be used for stacking vehicles, then where is the normal traffic supposed to go? Kent was chaos when we had the awful Operation Stack a few years ago, it was so incredibly difficult to get anywhere and that was without an accident on the A2/M2, for example.

[Steven]

The main problem here is that Portsmouth can only stack 14 lorries before they would start to block Rudmore Roundabout, and before long the M275.

I wonder if the unused sliproad at M27 J9 could be brought in to play? It can't handle very many lorries at all, but it could triple Portsmouth's 14. You'd just need to create a gap in the barrier, which has been done before when works vehicles have been stored there.

Why is that slip road unused??

Park Gate Interchange

[Stevie D]

I wonder if the unused sliproad at M27 J9 could be brought in to play? It can't handle very many lorries at all, but it could triple Portsmouth's 14. You'd just need to create a gap in the barrier, which has been done before when works vehicles have been stored there.

Why is that slip road unused??

The east-facing sliproads at J9 were originally extended to provide access to a proposed service area. The service station was never built – the westbound exit slip was extended along the full length so that exiting traffic runs parallel to the mainline for a full mile before peeling off to the roundabout, but the eastbound entry slip merges with the mainline at the usual place and the extended line lays abandoned for about half a mile.

[Berk]

Just had a look at the map, and I don’t really think it’s a goer because you’re asking lorries to queue up on the motorway some distance from the port. Unless you’re thinking of ones going to the continent.

Why not create (a) temporary lorry park(s) at Portsea, or Horsea Island?? They can either be made permanent, or cleared away once the longer-term solution is clear.

[Big L]

Just had a look at the map, and I don’t really think it’s a goer because you’re asking lorries to queue up on the motorway some distance from the port. Unless you’re thinking of ones going to the continent...

Have you seen how far Manston Airfield is from Dover.

And surely all of the stacking is for lorries heading to the continent. We are hardly likely to need to queue them up in England after they have arrived here through the congested ports.

[Berk]

Does that mean we don’t/won’t need to do our own Customs checks?? No checks on anything coming in??

I can almost see the government skimping on them in a desperate attempt to keep things moving.

[Euan]

Is there any reason why the M2 was never considered for a lorry stack if one was ever required? The motorway itself is a bit more out of the way of the traffic heading to the Channel ports which would typically use the M20/M26. There would be less disruption during a temporary closure of the M2 than there would be for the M3 or M26.

[Berk]

I don’t think you’re assessing its (M2’s) importance correctly. It is a very important link across northern Kent. If it was close to traffic to park lorries, most of the Medway and north Kent would grind to a halt.

And quite apart from exceptional circumstances, it isn’t really the done thing to use motorways as lorry stacks, for obvious reasons. Why it’s got to this state, and off-road areas were never seriously considered from the start, I can’t imagine.

Even if land has to be acquired, it isn’t necessarily for permanent, indefinite use. It could be leased.

[Big L]

Does that mean we don’t/won’t need to do our own Customs checks?? No checks on anything coming in??

Not 10-20 miles inland I would have thought.

[Euan]

I don’t think you’re assessing its (M2’s) importance correctly. It is a very important link across northern Kent. If it was close to traffic to park lorries, most of the Medway and north Kent would grind to a halt.

And quite apart from exceptional circumstances, it isn’t really the done thing to use motorways as lorry stacks, for obvious reasons. Why it’s got to this state, and off-road areas were never seriously considered from the start, I can’t imagine.

Even if land has to be acquired, it isn’t necessarily for permanent, indefinite use. It could be leased.

As is the case for the M3 to Southampton and its surroundings and the M26 as a link to the M20 through Kent for traffic passing around the south of London. The truth is that all of the motorways in the region are of great importance for their own reasons. Ideally we would not want to have to close any of them for a long period of time, but in a negative scenario the relative importance of each motorway would have to be assessed to find the option that minimises disruption.

[AndyB]

In the event of any delays at EU ports, ferries and Eurotunnel will not be able to disembark all their lorries, let alone return to an English port. If the ferry is already in England, the service will be suspended if it would otherwise be stuck on the continent, and Eurotunnel will suspend operations so that Eurostar can access the passenger terminals.

[LeedsKing]

Operation Brock - activated

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

[A303Chris]

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.