I welcome the news that Highways England will use Manston Airfield as part of Operation Stack in future. This is a step towards keeping the M20 flowing 2-way as it will reduce the number of lorries queuing on the M20.
It may have implications for M2 traffic, so I’m looking forward to the full update on how it will work. So far I have had a briefing from the Transport Minister, who took the trouble to tell Kent MPs personally. This followed his meeting with us in Maidstone on Friday.
We desperately needed a change to how Operation Stack is managed. It’s been enormously disruptive for residents and disastrous for many businesses, with the M20 closed coast bound for 27 days in the last 6 weeks. Clearly the plan to use Manston is not the whole answer, but it is progress.
I’m expecting news soon on Highways England’s plans for keeping the M20 flowing 2-way.
One consequence of all that we’ve been through this summer is that no one doubts the serious infrastructure investment needed to avoid this ever happening again. It is now recognised as a national problem, not just Kent’s problem.
Please open the attachments below to read the updates Helen received from: Transport Minister Andrew Jones MP on Manston Airfield and on Operation Stack from David Brewer, Director of Network Delivery and Development.
