Dover District Council is welcoming news from Highways England that plans for a permanent arrangement for Dover TAP (Traffic Access Protocol), introducing a variable speed limit on the A20, are anticipated to be in place for the busy summer holiday period.
The variable limit will mean that the national speed limit will apply for the A20 through the 'TAP' area when the protocol is not active. When TAP is in place, the road through this area will be restricted to 40mph. A series of electronic variable signs will be placed along the A20 from the Roundhill Tunnels to Aycliffe, which will be controlled by Highways England.
Cllr Nigel Collor, DDC Cabinet Member for Access said: "We are delighted at this news and are very pleased to see this solution on the way to address the issue of lorries queuing through central Dover. The situation has improved since the Port of Dover opened their Buffer Zone in the Eastern Docks, but we still need to have Dover TAP for when there are problems, especially with the volume of traffic using the Port of Dover increasing. The variable speed limit is a key milestone to provide a more resilient road network to support the town and the port."
