Eurotunnel queues: AA says holiday gridlock easing

There are signs of an easing in the congestion that has made it difficult for people to cross the Channel.

The time it takes to get to the Eurotunnel check-in desk is now under two hours according to the AA.

If congestion continues to decrease, traffic could return to normal by late evening.

There were three days of tailbacks at the port.

The AA branded it the "hotspot of holiday hell" after people slept in cars on the road as the approach to the Eurotunnel remained blocked.

A tired family said their journey took 21 hours.

The M20 motorway through Kent to the south coast was closed to cars because of an operation called "Brock" that diverted vehicles to the motorway.

Car drivers were diverted to smaller roads which caused miles of tailbacks when the motorway was shut.

The coastbound section of the M20 between junctions 11 and 12 reopened to non-freight traffic but it is still closed between junctions 8 and 11.

Food and drink were sent to people stuck in traffic by the Kent resilience forum.

Andrew and his family were stuck in traffic for 21 hours on their way to France.

"We arrived at Folkestone at 9am yesterday morning for a train at 10:30 and then have been slowly crawling along for the last 21+ hours," he said.

He said that his children were dishevelled but that he and his wife had taken the wheel in shifts to get some rest.

The family erupted in cheers as they were boarding the train.

Eurotunnel's director of public affairs said he was confident that the bit they manage was working.

The roads outside are not within the scope of our work. He said that the service is the only place where they have authority.

Passengers were always told to show up 30 minutes to two hours before departure to make sure they got on the plane.

One frustrated person said it took four hours to get on a train and fifteen hours to move five miles outside of Folkestone.

She said that they left everyone on those roads.

The children were getting into their pyjamas at the side of the road and brushing their teeth where everyone else had used the bathroom.

She said that the Eurotunnel passengers had no water, no facilities, and no queue at the terminal. She claimed that they were treated worse than cattle.

A major incident was declared as routes to the port and Eurotunnel became congested.

There was a war of words between France and the UK after the delays at the port.

French authorities failed to provide enough border staff to check passports over the weekend, according to the UK Government.

French Transport Minister Clement Beaune highlighted the border checks brought about by the UK's decision to leave the EU.

The port said it was running as usual by mid-morning on Sunday after clearing the tourists.

According to the Kent resilience forum, 600 remain on the M20.

If space is available for a Channel crossing on the ferry from Dover or on the Eurotunnel, there will be an operation called 'Brock'.

Steve Gooding blamed the operation for a lot of disruption and called for more lorry parking.

Some drivers had waited for 18 hours in a queue with no toilet facilities, according to Natalie Chapman.

The Road Haulage Association wants the government to build more parks. In England, the Department for Transport is investing more than $30 million.

Manesh Luthra and his family left Essex at 4am on Saturday.

They were just outside the Eurotunnel terminal in Folkestone, waiting for the shuttle to come.

He says that they joined the back of the queue for the worst part of the day.

We moved a lot.

He said that his family wanted to give up at times because they didn't have anything.

He says that other drivers were in the queue. I was concerned that there would be an accident.

After travelling for two more hours, the family stopped at a hotel in northern France.

They went off again on Sunday. Manesh says that they all broke down.

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