Port of Dover Faces Record Delays as Nine-Lane Queue Stretches Alongside White Cliffs

Travellers heading to the Port of Dover on a popular summer morning have encountered significant delays, with officials reporting wait times of up to two hours.

The queues, spanning nine lanes wide, extended alongside the iconic white cliffs as French guards rigorously checked passports at the border.

Port of Dover authorities revealed that more than 35,000 individuals had passed through the port on Friday, en route to France.

In response to the high traffic, they advised Saturday’s travellers not to arrive at the port more than three hours before their scheduled sail time.

At 7 am, officials stated that the average processing time to cross the border was 120 minutes, adhering to their peak travel plan for the busiest periods.

They assured travellers that despite the delay, they would be accommodated on the next available sailing once they reached the check-in point.

Google Maps depicted dark red lines, indicating the slowest traffic category, stretching into the town, with congestion along the A20 road almost reaching Folkestone.

Frustrated drivers expressed their dissatisfaction by honking their horns, and even an ambulance with flashing blue lights faced temporary delays before eventually navigating through the traffic.

By 9:30 am, authorities reported that the wait time had reduced to 90-120 minutes.

Travellers were reminded to undergo border checks by Police Aux Frontieres before boarding their ferries.

Officials advised travellers to utilize only the main routes to avoid further traffic delays, emphasizing that the morning in question marked one of the peak travel periods throughout the summer.

As of the update, the current processing time to reach border controls was estimated to be 90-120 minutes, indicating an improvement from earlier in the day.