Call for lorry charge to fund Stack solution

Operation Stack

MILLIONS of pounds raised by charging foreign lorries to use UK roads could be used to build a huge lorry park to cope with Operation Stack, according to the leader of Kent County Council.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has announced plans for a charge that could cost foreign hauliers as much as £1,000 a year. The scheme would operate in a similar way to the vignette system common in Europe.

The charges would depend on the size of the vehicle but it is estimated the government could raise up to £20 million a year. Mr McLoughlin said: “These propos- als will deliver a vital shot in the arm to the UK haulage industry.

“It is simply not right that foreign lorries do not pay to use our roads, when our trucks invariably have to fork out when travelling to the continent. By introducing charges we will create a level playing field, increasing UK competitiveness and boosting growth.”

Kent County Council leader Cllr Paul Carter said he wanted to see some of the money diverted to help road schemes in Kent and to meet the costs of building a lorry park off the M20 at Aldington.

The scheme for a 70-acre park, capable of holding as many as 3,000 lorries when the M20 is closed because of bad weather or disruption at the ports, has been in limbo for several years.

Cllr Carter said: “A significant amount of money can now be raised. But this additional income must be invested in maintaining and improving our road network. Kent currently suffers all the disadvantages of being the UK’s main transport corridor to Europe but enjoys none of the benefits. We want assurances that the extra revenue generated by lorry charging goes to fixing the damage caused by foreign trucks.”

The charge could be used for key infrastructure projects, such as the lorry park, a third Thames crossing and improving the M20, he added.

KCC has yet to submit a formal planning application and has not been able to persuade ministers to provide any money to build it. The authority is examining proposals for a no-frills, low cost park after accepting the costs of the original scheme – estimated at one point to be £70 million – were prohibitive. A SIX-week project to refurbish a motorway bridge on the M2 has begun.

The Stockbury Viaduct – part of the M2 Junction 5 interchange, where the motorway meets the A249 – is being completely resurfaced and its waterproofing renewed to protect vital bridge components from corrosion.

Three expansion joints, which protect the structure of the bridge by allowing it to expand and contract with seasonal variations in temperature, will also be replaced as part of the scheme.

Work will be carried out 24 hours a day.

Two lanes will be kept open in both directions at all busy times, with one of them dedicated for drivers joining or leaving the M2 at Junction 5.

A contraflow system is also in place with a reduced 40mph speed limit.

Additional restrictions, such as slip road closures, will be carried out overnight when traffic flows are lowest and with diversion routes in place.

Highways Agency structure manager Bala Vishnubala said: “All structures require maintenance from time to time, and this important work will help keep the Stockbury Viaduct operating safely and reliably for the 60,000 drivers who depend on it every day.

“We have planned the work very carefully to keep disruption to an absolute minimum, but it would be a good idea for drivers using this section of the M2 to allow some extra time for their journeys while work is under way, especially if they will be travelling at busy times.”

Work to install the contraflow has begun, and the project is expected to be complete at the end of October.