Irish haulage operators has been appraised of a trial banning heavy vehicles from overtaking on a stretch of the A20 near the Port of Dover is to be introduced on Tuesday 30 March to reduce congestion, improve journey time reliability and cut the risk of accidents caused by slow-moving vehicles.
Lorries of 7.5 tonnes and over will be banned from overtaking on the uphill, two-mile westbound section of the A20 dual carriageway leaving the port. This will free up the outside lane for faster traffic, reducing congestion and cutting the risk of accidents.
The year long trial follows similar successful schemes on the M42 in the West Midlands and the A14 in Northamptonshire which have both delivered improved journey times and have now been made permanent.
Highways Agency route manager for Kent, John Burns, said: “We are committed to tackling congestion and making journeys on our roads more reliable. This busy section of the A20 is used by around 13,000 vehicles every day, almost a fifth of which are HGVs.
“A two-mile section is often blocked by overtaking lorries travelling from the port going slowly uphill. Congestion after a ferry has unloaded can build up back towards the town and lead to delays on local roads as well. This causes frustration among car drivers and other motorists caught up in queues.
“By trialling this overtaking restriction, the outside lane should remain clear for faster, lighter traffic and help ensure more reliable journeys for everyone.”
The overtaking ban will be made possible by a weight restriction on the outside lane. Signs at the side of the A20 London-bound carriageway between Limekiln roundabout and Court Wood junction will direct heavy vehicles to remain in the inside lane
Work to install road signs for the trial started last week, though the signs will not be visible to road users until the overtaking restriction will come into force from 30 March.
