M20 Northbound, a scary story
I am posting this in the abroad section as it is a route used by most people returning via the channel tunnel.
Although I am comparatively new to caravaning (11 years) I have over 60,000 towing miles and most of Europe under my belt so do not regard myself as a novice. I have never been so frightened towing as I was yesterday on our way home from France. Most of the M20 from Folkestone to Maidstone is restricted to two narrow lanes, ostensibly for roadworks, but due to complete inactivity it could well be to create the Brexit Contingency lorry stack, but that is another issue for debate elsewhere. My issue is that there is a 50 mph speed limit, the lanes are narrow (the usual sign states wide loads can use two lanes), there is a solid barrier on the right with no gap whatsoever between it and the lane, there are posts on the left with minimal gap then a foot or so of gravel then bushes and embankment so no escape route in case of a problem. Trucks, particularly foreign ones, seem to be exempt from the speed limit and steam past in the right hand lane at 60mph, literally inches from me, with their slip stream following behind. One actually touched my extended wing mirror. You can't slow down as the truck behind blares its horn and flashes its lights. And this goes on for mile after mile. At the end of the section I was shaking like a leaf. If you are at all fainthearted avoid this road. I am posting this elsewhere as a warning.
Ask yourself, if you had to drive through a gap a foot wider than your caravan, with the right hand wall coming and going and swaying in and out, would you attack this at 50 mph? Could you do this every few seconds for half an hour or so?
In other European countries and restricted road width or any hill involving slow trucks, there is a no overtaking rule for HGVs.
Comments
-
Not so, below is an email I received form Highways England when I complained about the lack of activity in the roadworks.
Thank you for your email dated on 7 November 2018, regarding roadworks on the M20 smart motorway scheme.
I’m sorry to hear that the M20 roadworks are causing disruption to your journeys. Works on the M20 form part of a commitment we made to improve the Kent Corridor. Depending on where you came off the M20, you will have passed through the following roadworks:
Works at junction 10a Temporary Solution in between junctions 8 to 9 are being carried out in preparation for the UK exiting the EU and to improve port delays. Whereas upgrade works are being carried out on the M20 smart motorway between junction 3 West Malling and junction 5 Aylesford.
Work is underway on all schemes however the work required for each scheme is quite different. The M20 Temporary Solution manages the flow of freight to the port of Dover, here the works are being carried out in many phases to minimise the need to close or use narrow lanes. The works themselves comprise a mix of barrier, verge and drainage works.
On the M20 smart motorway, you would have seen work underway to strip top soil and prepare foundations for the installation of new gantries. These works are taking place simultaneously to ease congestion on the M20 near Maidstone, which is seeing more housing developments and business expansion.
We understand your frustrations regarding the lack of visible work on the M20 and recognise the impact this has on our customers. Such works require initial surveys then installation and finally testing and checking before they can be signed off. Therefore, while you may not have seen workers they are working at pace to ensure all the works are completed as soon as possible.
We hope you have found this information useful and we apologise for the disruption our works are causing you, but hope you will experience more reliable journeys when the works are complete. To keep up to date with the schemes, please subscribe to updates here:
M20 junctions 3 to 5 smart motorway
M20 junction 10a
M20 junctions 8 to 9 temporary solution.
Thank you once again for your email. I have handled your correspondence in accordance with the first stage of Highways England’s complaints process. Should you wish to escalate your complaint, please see here.
If we can help with any other queries, please do not hesitate to contact us on the details below.
Kind regards
Saleena Taj, Project Support Administrator
2 Colmore Square | Birmingham | B4 6BN
Tel: 0300 123 5000 (Customer Contact Centre)
e-mail: M20J3-5SmartMotorway@highwaysengland.co.uk
0 -
Trucks aren't being stacked north bound .What they have done between Ashford and Maidstone, barrier off 2 lanes to use (South bound ) in the event of stacking issues if needed due to Brexit .It's been like it for the last few months . Have pulled my van through it a few times .The new junction is 2/3 miles south of the barriers .
0 -
Oldagetraveller
I hope you have recovered from your experience. Regardless of the reasons behind the roadworks it still created your stress. I know when we towed it could be quite scary towing in such circumstances. Ideally they would keep large vehicles in the inside lane but I suspect the volume of traffic would just create havoc if that was introduced. I recall from Germany they often have a wider lane and a narrower on which is obviously designed to allow only solo cars overtake. Hope it hasn't put you off.
David
0 -
Hmm..."Operation Brock" is the closing off of the 2 lanes which was done in advance of a possible 31 March Brexit lorry log jam. (we looked it up on Monday as we travelled slowly up the M20!) They just haven't bothered removing the barrier in case it is needed later in the year.
Totally agree with the OP and we are in a smallish camper van. Lanes are very narrow and lorries just do what they like. it is very different in France in this sort of situation.
Slight tangent but we saw 3 situations on Monday travelling up M20, M1 and M6 where the lack of hard shoulder endangered life (including a whole family huddling next to their broken down car) It is absolutely ridiculous to have 4 lanes of traffic (even if they are meant to be going at 60 not 70) and absolutely no way to safely get out of the way of thundering lorries unless you happen to break down next to the tiny refuge points. Sorry, but feel very strongly about this
0 -
"Smart" motorways are just a cheapskate solution to traffic volumes.
1 -
Totally agree with OP. The type of narrow lanes he describes are very stressful to use, when towing. In some cases HGV's are restricted to the near side lane and these are much better. I'm not too bothered about having one flashing / tooting because I am only doing 50 on my speedo, which will be 47 or so on their GPS. However, when both lanes are available and they come past with their mirrors almost hitting the van, it is not good.
Not the same problem with the MH which is more stable, narrower and also has a GPS speedo on the sat nav. Does not stop the foreign ones passing though.☹️
As to smart motorways, they are OK in there original concept, like the M42 round Birmingham. Normally 3 lanes and a hard shoulder, but four at peak when traffic is heavy and speeds are much lower. It also has plenty of refuges and full gantries at frequent intervals. The all lanes running type that are in use 24/7 with 70mph plus traffic, limited refuges and mini gantries every mile or so, are in my opinion an accident waiting to happen.
0 -
When they opened m42 smart motorway they put in breakdown laybyes every mile .i think ,now they have increased the distance , foreign lorries use these as night stops !!
0
