M20 Closures at Ashford

[Gareth Thomas]

The M20 is closed this weekend due to installation of a new bridge for the Junction 10a works. The official diversion has been to use the A2/M2 to get from Dover to London and vice-versa, and there have been signs and notices all over Kent advising people a) not to use their satnavs and b) to avoid the Ashford area where possible.

Yet a lot of traffic has been ignoring this advice and is using the A20 at Sellindge as a diversion, meaning the road is completely congested in both directions (and making me very glad I'm not working this weekend!). There are also temporary traffic lights through Sellindge which to my knowledge have not been removed.

Here is the local press coverage of the delays.

The road closure has been publicised for quite a while, and in two weeks time we will have to do it all again as they install the other bridge in the junction. Any thoughts on what could be done to try and limit the congestion next time? One idea a friend came up with was closing the A20 at the A2/A20 roundabout, so all traffic leaving the Port of Dover HAS to use the A2, but those following their satnavs would probably just take the A258 back into town to rejoin the A20 further on...

[Euan]

Why use the non-motorway A20 instead of the far more suitable primarily dual carriageway/motorway route via the A2/M2? Even if the official diversion is not perfect, the capacity of the route is far greater than on any of the local roads. The routes chosen for diversions are chosen for a reason!

[Bryn666]

Because people are idiots and will still listen to a preprogrammed robot or their own prejudice before an expert.

[Ritchie333]

I was in London all day yesterday so didn't notice anything.

[Euan]

Because people are idiots and will still listen to a preprogrammed robot or their own prejudice before an expert.

I certainly would not advocate using a satnav for this kind of journey - especially considering the fact that it will not be a direct route hence why it is a diversion in the first place. The problem with satnavs is that many of them still fail to take traffic and current congestion into account. I think some route planners have started to do this kind of thing, but satnavs would be far less reliable for it.

[ChrisH]

I would think this is a combination of a few factors:

- More local traffic than we'd imagine, even on a "strategic" motorway like the M20. (Certainly when I've been on it the traffic clearly runs in pulses related to ferry and tunnel arrivals.)
- Lots of drivers not using "smart" navigation which responds to road closures.
- Many drivers over-rate their own expertise at navigation and think they will manage, and that the diversion route is for other people.

[Gareth Thomas]

The M20 is shut again this weekend for the other bridge to be installed.

And the same problems are here again, everyone ignoring the official diversion and using the A20 instead

Apparently Highways England have spoken to both the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel to advise the freight traffic to use the M2, but I think people are still used by their satnavs despite the advice being not to, and/or thinking “It’s only a few miles up the A20, I’ll be fine.”.

I am off to Ashford his evening for a work party, I shall be going via Hythe and Hamstreet.

[KeithW]

The M20 is shut again this weekend for the other bridge to be installed.

And the same problems are here again, everyone ignoring the official diversion and using the A20 instead

Apparently Highways England have spoken to both the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel to advise the freight traffic to use the M2, but I think people are still used by their satnavs despite the advice being not to, and/or thinking “It’s only a few miles up the A20, I’ll be fine.”.

I am off to Ashford his evening for a work party, I shall be going via Hythe and Hamstreet.

I think there are a couple of issues here.

The location of the closure means that its NOT just an issue of using the S2 A20. What it means is fighting your way through the roadworks affected area at J10A in Ashford !

Advising freight traffic from Eurotunnel to use the M20/A20/A2/M2 is good but what about all the cars ? Its a long old diversion from the car terminal via Dover and the A2 so I can see why car drivers would choose the A260 to cut the corner, Trouble is there seem to be roadworks on it that are causing long delays.

It also looks like there are works on the Southbound/Eastbound M2 at the Medway bridges causing long delays. So the message for this weekend is 'Use whichever bits of the M2 or M20 Highways England decide to leave open'

https://brfm.net/highways-england-roadw ... uary-2019/

[frediculous_biggs]

It also looks like there are works on the Southbound/Eastbound M2 at the Medway bridges causing long delays. So the message for this weekend is 'Use whichever bits of the M2 or M20 Highways England decide to leave open

There was no delay using the M2 bridge this morning, although I had forgotten the coastbound on slip was shut...

[Euan]

I would like to think that ideally various roadworks in the area would be planned not to coincide too much with each other, just in case there are a number of drivers choosing to use different "convenient" routes rather than the signed diversion.