Government Spending £60m On Motorway Barrier For Brexit Disruption
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The government is spending £60m on a moveable concrete barrier to ease traffic jams in case Brexit, bad weather or industrial action causes disruption at ports.
The barrier, allowing the creation of a temporary contraflow system at short notice, will be deployed on the M20 motorway in Kent “at times of cross-channel disruption”.
The Department for Transport (DfT) pointedly did not mention Brexit as a potential cause of that disruption.
But the barrier replaces the £35m Operation Brock project which caused immediate chaos on the M20 when it was deployed in October in case there was a no-deal Brexit, despite the EU agreeing to delay Britain’s departure to January.
Despite Boris Johnson striking a withdrawal agreement with the EU, there is still every chance of disruption at UK ports if the government gets to the end of this year’s transition period without striking a long-term trade deal.
The prime minister has also made clear he is willing to walk away from negotiations without a trade deal, which could result in much of the disruption that would have been caused in what was previously known as a no deal Brexit scenario.
Even if he succeeds in getting the “Canada-style” trade deal he wants, businesses have also been warned by the government to prepare for extra trade frictions that could potentially slow down the cross-border movement of goods and cause disruption at ports.
The DfT shared a video with a Dutch voiceover made by the Netherlands-based Vermuelan Groep to highlight how the concrete barrier might work.
But the government has not yet hired a supplier for the £60m project.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps said: “After listening to frustrated residents and businesses affected by Operations Brock and Stack, we’ve invested in a new solution to boost Kent’s resilience and keep its vital road network...