The Lower Thames Crossing will be operated as an integrated part of the Strategic Road Network (SRN). Incident response plans will be developed with local authorities and emergency services during construction and published before opening. These will cover tunnel systems, roadside technology and traffic management across the wider network, consistent with National Highways’ coordinated SRN approach, including the 2021 CLEAR Keep Traffic Moving incident management plan agreed with emergency services. They will work with key responders to minimise incident impacts through an integrated and coordinated approach across the SRN, which will also apply to the Lower Thames Crossing.

Drivers would be informed of closures through signs and signals across the wider network and through channels such as sat nav, in-car systems, social media, press and radio, supporting informed journey decisions.

The Lower Thames Crossing will be operated as an integrated part of the Strategic Road Network (SRN). Incident response plans will be developed with local authorities and emergency services during construction and published before opening. These will cover tunnel systems, roadside technology and traffic management across the wider network, consistent with National Highways’ coordinated SRN approach, including the 2021 CLEAR Keep Traffic Moving incident management plan agreed with emergency services. They will work with key responders to minimise incident impacts through an integrated and coordinated approach across the SRN, which will also apply to the Lower Thames Crossing.

Drivers would be informed of closures through signs and signals across the wider network and through channels such as sat nav, in-car systems, social media, press and radio, supporting informed journey decisions.

The Lower Thames Crossing will be operated as an integrated part of the Strategic Road Network (SRN). Incident response plans will be developed with local authorities and emergency services during construction and published before opening. These will cover tunnel systems, roadside technology and traffic management across the wider network, consistent with National Highways’ coordinated SRN approach, including the 2021 CLEAR Keep Traffic Moving incident management plan agreed with emergency services. They will work with key responders to minimise incident impacts through an integrated and coordinated approach across the SRN, which will also apply to the Lower Thames Crossing.

Drivers would be informed of closures through signs and signals across the wider network and through channels such as sat nav, in-car systems, social media, press and radio, supporting informed journey decisions.

The Lower Thames Crossing will be operated as an integrated part of the Strategic Road Network (SRN). Incident response plans will be developed with local authorities and emergency services during construction and published before opening. These will cover tunnel systems, roadside technology and traffic management across the wider network, consistent with National Highways’ coordinated SRN approach, including the 2021 CLEAR Keep Traffic Moving incident management plan agreed with emergency services. They will work with key responders to minimise incident impacts through an integrated and coordinated approach across the SRN, which will also apply to the Lower Thames Crossing.

Drivers would be informed of closures through signs and signals across the wider network and through channels such as sat nav, in-car systems, social media, press and radio, supporting informed journey decisions.

The Lower Thames Crossing will be operated as an integrated part of the Strategic Road Network (SRN). Incident response plans will be developed with local authorities and emergency services during construction and published before opening. These will cover tunnel systems, roadside technology and traffic management across the wider network, consistent with National Highways’ coordinated SRN approach, including the 2021 CLEAR Keep Traffic Moving incident management plan agreed with emergency services. They will work with key responders to minimise incident impacts through an integrated and coordinated approach across the SRN, which will also apply to the Lower Thames Crossing.

Drivers would be informed of closures through signs and signals across the wider network and through channels such as sat nav, in-car systems, social media, press and radio, supporting informed journey decisions.

The department continues to work closely with the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum, National Highways, Kent County Council, and other local partners to ensure that traffic management arrangements in Kent remain effective, proportionate and responsive to changing risks.

Operation Brock remains a contingency measure designed to protect the strategic road network, maintain access for local communities and businesses, and support the continued flow of freight through the Short Straits during periods of disruption. Decisions on its deployment are kept under regular review through established multi-agency arrangements, led locally by the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum, so that Brock is used only where it is necessary and proportionate.

The government recognises the impact that Operation Brock can have on road users and communities in Kent and is committed to working with partners to reduce that impact wherever possible. The department, National Highways and local partners are actively considering longer-term options that could lessen reliance on queuing HGVs on the M20, including approaches that make better use of technology to manage freight movements and provide greater resilience through off-road holding capacity.

The Department has not had discussions with Oxford City Council or Oxfordshire County Council on this matter. Responsibility for introducing and managing local traffic measures rests with the local highway authority.

National Highways is responsible for operating motorways in England. Through the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3), published in March 2026, the Government has set National Highways several targeted key performance indicators covering; average delay, incident clearance, network availability, and the timeliness and accuracy of roadworks information.

National Highways will need to undertake a range of actions to meet these targets.

RIS3 also contains a number of major enhancements and smaller schemes that are aimed at addressing some of the most congested sections on the network.

Investing in maintaining and renewing the network can cause some short-term delays due to roadworks. In such cases, National Highways will take steps to mitigate impacts where possible and to keep road users informed of roadwork timings and likely impacts.

National Highways’ RIS3 Delivery Plan will also include its customer and delay action plan, where it will set out further actions it plans to address delay and to improve the experience of road users.

The Department for Transport is providing all Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) with multi-year consolidated funding settlements, giving LTAs greater freedom and flexibility to make the strategic decisions that best impact their local areas. Elements of this funding settlement could be spent on traffic calming measures if they are a priority for the LTA.

Active Travel England’s published Rapid Evidence Assessments contain evidence that traffic calming measures can support increased walking, cycling and other forms of active travel in urban areas. Relevant interventions include traffic-free areas, road closures, School Streets, low-speed streets and traffic-free cycling infrastructure. The evidence suggests these measures can increase walking and cycling, improve perceptions of safety, and reduce traffic volumes and speeds.

The Rapid Evidence Assessments are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluating-the-impact-of-active-travel-investmentc.

Decisions on the use of speed management measures on local roads, including speed cameras, traffic-calming measures, chicanes and raised crossings, are for local traffic authorities, working with local partners. They are best placed to assess which interventions are appropriate for their roads, taking account of factors such as road layout, traffic volumes, collision history, speed limits and the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and other road users.

The Department provides guidance to support local authorities on speed management, including the setting of local speed limits and the use of speed and red-light cameras. The Department has begun work to update guidance as part of the Road Safety Strategy.

The Government is working closely with local authorities in Greater London to support efforts to reduce traffic congestion. We have provided significant funding to support improvements to the capital’s road network. For example, we have provided £54.3 million of funding to the Greater London Authority (GLA) for the Gallows Corner scheme; however, delivery of this scheme is a matter for the GLA and Transport for London.

More broadly, London boroughs will be eligible for over £272 million of highways maintenance funding over the next four years. This funding will help boroughs plan ahead, adopt preventative maintenance, and improve the long-term condition of their roads.

Where the A12 meets the M25 at junction 28, part of the strategic road network (SRN), drivers are benefitting from recently completed improvements providing safer and smoother journeys. The Government and National Highways remain committed to maintaining and renewing the SRN to ensure it works for all road users, working with local authorities.

The Department has supported adoption of innovative and emerging technology including Artificial Intelligence (AI) by local highway authorities for a number of years, through a series of 'C-ITS' (connected Intelligent Transport Systems) grants issued between 2016 and 2022, and through the £15m Green Light Fund provided to authorities in 2023.

The Department operates the Transport Technology Forum to bring together authorities, suppliers and others in the sector to share knowledge and experience and work collectively to advance the use of AI and new technology, for traffic management.

The Department is currently developing a Connected Vehicle Services Framework to support the development of open and scalable services for road users and operators and is working to ensure AI solutions now coming to market are used in the delivery of services where appropriate.