Agenda item

(Report by Head of Network Management)

          (Mrs E M Tweed was present for this item)

(1)     Further to Minute 6 of 8 May 2008, whilst all agencies (Highways Agency, Interroute, Kent Fire & Rescue, Kent County Council, other local authorities etc.) worked together during Stack to minimise the effect of Stack, it was done so in support of Kent Police in their role as the lead agency.  A number of concerns and suggestions had been put forward by the public, County Members and other stakeholders about the management of, and mitigation against, Stack, and  these had been explored further with Kent Police and the Highways Agency.

(2)     On 19 June, Kent Police led a de-brief focussed on the protracted Stack incident that took place during March.  The purpose of the de-brief was to proactively learn from the lengthy deployment of Stack and to formally report the findings.  This multi-agency event involved stakeholders including the Highways Agency, Interroute, Kent Fire & Rescue, Eurotunnel, Port of Dover, SE Coast Ambulance and KCC.  Learning was centred around the use of intelligence, the command structure, silver control, Operation Stack phases and communication and citizen engagement.  The report was awaited with interest.

(3)     The protracted nature of Stack caused by the industrial action by SeaFrance officers in March, resulted in press, public and member interest – and a number of suggestions about how it might be better managed in the future.  Managing Operation Stack was a complex operation; safety of HGV drivers, residents, the travelling public and police personnel was of prime importance, and Kent Police were mindful of the need to keep Kent moving whilst Operation Stack was deployed.

(i)      Holding back lorries elsewhere on the network – preventing HGVs from entering Kent by holding them in France/Belgium or elsewhere in the UK.

          This was a frequent suggestion aimed at sharing the problem and reducing the effect on Kent.  It would require co-operation at a national level and centralised control from the Home Office of autonomous police authorities; it was logistically impossible (how did you stop lorries safely and where did you put them?); there were no existing powers that would enable this idea to be effected, nor was there any national appetite to change this.  Even at the height of Operation Stack in March there was no possibility of civil contingencies being required – the problem just was not sufficiently severe.

          Potential for future deployment: Virtually non-existent.

(ii)     Contraflow to keep the M20 open both ways between junctions 8 and 9.

          Since March, the Highways Agency had significantly invested in signs and cones to implement this option should it ever be required.  The option was not without its difficulties – in short, the problems associated with vehicles travelling along the hard shoulder which was not constructed to the same standard as the main carriageway; the need to safely segregate vehicles which were travelling towards each other on the same side of the carriageway at speed with only cones and a buffer lane separating them; the ability to enforce a reduced speed limit.

Potential for the future: High.

          (iii)    Improved signing at M20 junction 10.

                   Local traffic joining the M20 at junction 10 (coastbound) to travel to junction 11 could be caught up in phase 1 of Operation Stack (when it was implemented) because there were no advance warnings.

                   The Highways Agency were considering a feasibility study looking at advance signing on KCC’s network to approaches to all junctions on the M20.  They were also looking at the potential to install quickly implemented gateways to on-slips on all motorway junctions as part of a national programme.  KCC would no doubt be consulted as part of any proposals and would have to weigh up the benefits and dis-benefits to Kent’s road networks.

                   Potential for future deployment: Medium.

          (iv)    Quick Moveable Barrier (QMB)

                   The QMB was currently being installed by the Highways agency between junctions 11 and 12.

                   The objectives were to avoid directing local traffic on to the A20 from the M20.  However, members should be aware that Kent Police intended to take traffic off at junction 11 before returning it to the M20 to join the contraflow.  The Highways Agency intended to monitor performance of the QMB to ensure that it met operational objectives. 

                   Further feasibility would be required to evaluate whether the QMB could be expanded to junction 13 or towards junction 10, or both.

       Potential for future deployment: High.

(v)   Central Reservation Gateways

       Members would no doubt be aware that the Highways Agency had installed gateways in the M20 central reservation between junctions 8 and 9.  This was part of a national programme designed to manage incidents more effectively; gateways were being installed where there was more than 5km between junctions.

       Potential for future deployment: High.  Not designed with Stack in mind but high potential to manage Stack more effectively.

(vi)  Traffic Management at Junction 8

       The congestion at junction 8, caused as all vehicles left the M20 before HGVs were directed back down the M20 and car and local HGV traffic directed onto KCC’s road network, was the most pressing network management issue.  Traffic could queue back to junctions 7, 6 and sometimes back to junction 5.  As well as the irritation factor, there were inherent safety issues.

On line sorting, keeping HGVs on the motorway and directing only cars and local traffic off at junction 8 ran counter-intuitive to practice as it meant swapping lorries into lane 3 and cars to lane 1.

This option could be linked with option 2 (contraflow) and KCC continued to work with Kent Police and the Highways Agency to find a longer-term solution.

Potential for future deployment:  Low.

(vii)   Further Capacity

          Widening of the M20 between junctions 11 and 12 and/or 12 and 13 would increase capacity of existing phases.  The Highways Agency was looking at this as a longer term option.

Potential for future deployment:  Low 

(viii)  Junction 10a

          The Highways Agency were currently consulting on a new junction to the east of junction 10.  This might create further, as yet unquantified, options.

(4)     Discussions continued between a number of agencies to manage Stack more effectively.

(5)     The Board noted the report.