The M20 coastbound carriageway between Junctions 8 and 9 is being temporarily closed due to disruption caused by the adverse weather conditions.
The closure will allow freight bound for the continent to queue on the empty section of motorway in order to keep any disruption to Kent’s wider road network to a minimum.
All EU-bound freight must use the M20 whilst all other traffic must follow the signed diversions.
Chief Supt Simon Alland, of Kent Police’s Tactical Operations Command, said: ‘The closure of the M20 is an emergency measure that is only used following consultation with our partners in the Kent Resilience Forum (KRF) and after a thorough assessment of issues including public safety and traffic volumes. The KRF will continue to monitor the situation over the next 24 hours.’