How Much Do These Tolls Cost?
The UK has a number of toll roads, bridged and tunnels, each designed to save you time in your journey. They are geographically spread across the country, and the cost of each varies, but you will know soon.
How much do road, bridge and tunnel tolls cost?
Car users (and other road users such as HGV drivers) need to pay tolls which are a particular way of funding bridge or road improvements, which are not covered by general taxation.
The price you pay at UK tolls will depend on what vehicle you are travelling in and what time you are travelling. Many tolls offer discounted rates for local buses and motorcycles, and all vehicle types travelling outside of peak hours (such as very late at night).
Signs before the toll pay point will tell you how much you need to pay. The most expensive toll charge for a car in the UK is the M6 Toll in the West Midlands which costs £5.60 at peak time. This is compared to just the 40p toll at the A57 - Dunham Bridge. The majority of tolls fees tend to be below £2.00, but remember you may have to pay a fee each time you cross the toll bridge, road or tunnel. For example, the Mersey Tunnels has a charge for heading each way. Some toll roads have now become free, such as the Severn Crossings.
Unfortunately, there is no way of avoiding the toll charge if you using the road where you need to pay. If your payment card fails and you do not have any money with you, you will be issued a fine to pay at a later date. The Dartford Tunnel now requires you to pay online.
Where will you find these tolls?
Currently, there are 23 tolls in the UK, with the vast majority (18) of these bing at river crossings. Whilst the most commonly known tolls such as the M6 Toll is located on a motorway, and the Humber Bridge toll is located on the A15.
Tolls are located in a geographically diverse location across the UK. If you are regularly travelling across the UK you are likely to bump into one at one time or another. However, a list of the UK tolls located on main roads (motorways and A roads) are listed below to let you know where you are likely to bump into one.
Road tolls:
- M6 Toll - West Midlands
- A2199/Colleague Road - Dulwich, London
Bridge tolls:
- A4 - Batheaston Bridge - Bath, Somerset
- A15 - Humber Bridge - Hull, Yorkshire
- A38 - Tamar Bridge - Plymouth, Devon
- A57 - Dunham Bridge - Lincoln, Lincolnshire
- A533 - Mersey Gateway - Halton, Cheshire
- A3025 - Itchen Bridge - Southampton, Hampshire
Tunnels
- M25 - Dartford Crossing - Dartford, Essex (also has a bridge)
- A19 - Tyne Tunnels - Wallsend, Tyne and Wear
- A41 - Mersey Tunnels - Queensway - Birkenhead, Liverpool
- A59 - Mersey Tunnels - Kingsway - Wallasey, Liverpool
As listed above there are a number of tolls in the UK, and there is a big difference in the cost Whilst it might be frustrating paying for a toll road, in many instances that cost is far outweighed by the cost of petrol or diesel which would be needed to be used for an alternative route. For example, avoiding the Dartford Tunnel would likely require a large detour into East London, which will take you much, much longer.