M20 entry slip at Maidstone will shut to stop wrong way drivers during weekend motorway closure
14:03, 16 October 2018
updated: 14:40, 16 October 2018
An entry slip on the M20 at Maidstone will close to stop motorists driving the wrong way during a closure next month.
Drivers were spotted illegally using the up the entry slip to get off the London-bound carriageway at junction seven for Maidstone during a four-mile closure of the motorway last month.
Highways England plans to carry out the same closure in both directions between junctions four (Leybourne) and six (Blue Bell Hill) in November, to install a new footbridge in Aylesford.
Following on from last month's closure, when Teapot Lane footbridge was removed, Highways England announced it would place a CCTV van at the junction seven slip road to monitor any dangerous driving.
Despite capturing the footage on CCTV and shaming drivers' "illegal and dangerous manoeuvres", Highways England did not pass images on to police.
Kent Police did start an investigation into the incident however, once it had received images from the Kent Messenger.
Next month's closure will start on Friday, November 9, with the bridge set to be in place by the morning of November 11.
Highways England hopes to finish the work early, to avoid disruption to Remembrance Day parades.
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