M20 motorway
Template: Infobox trunk road / Maintenance / GB -M
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The M20 motorway (English for, M20 ') is a 81.4 km long motorway in Kent. It runs from the M25 to London to Folkestone and forms the most important link to the Euro Tunnel and the Port of Dover. Despite not existing signs she is part of the European route 15
History
The first section to Maidstone was built as a bypass in 1960-61. Thus, it is one of Britain 's oldest highways. At the time this section was numbered A20 (M), ie main road A20 motorway status (the old A20 became the A2020 downgraded ). It was not until 10 years later, towards London was built further to the village of Ditton; then the highway was renumbered M20 and the A20 was moved back to Maidstone. In 1981, the last gap in the North Downs was closed, so now was a continuous connection London Maidstone.
In the same year, the portion Ashford- Folkestone was opened to traffic, thus missing only of the 13 -mile section Maidstone - Ashford. We then saw no pressing reason to build this section, as the traffic to the ports on the English Channel route M2/A2 took over Canterbury. Only with the construction of the Euro tunnel was decided to build this section that in 1991 with the construction of a new terminal ( 11A) was opened for the Euro Tunnel. At the same time they built as a continuation from Folkestone to Dover road running A20 ( opening in 1993 ).
As the old A20 (M) was only four lanes, but the now completed six-lane highway, the section around Maidstone, the bottleneck was. 1995 this was expanded to six lanes, thereby arisen between junctions 6 and 7 additional lanes for local traffic.