News Published on : 28-Feb-2022 14:41:26

Paying for the privilege of using the roads isn t something that Brits are all that used to with the number of toll roads falling drastically since the days of turnpike trusts in the 19th century. However a number of roads bridges and tunnels do still require you to pay a charge and there are reportedly plans to introduce a new pay as you drive toll too. But while toll roads in the UK are relatively rare they can still be a nasty surprise for motorists and potentially a quite expensive one too. So which of the country s toll roads make the most money and which will cost you the most to use? 1. M25 Dartford Crossing - Dartford Essex (£ 209 million) The toll road that makes the most money in the country is the Dartford Crossing on the M25 which had total revenue of £ 209 million for 2019-20. Around £ 90 million of this came from drivers paying via account twice as much as from those without accounts (£ 45 million). However a large bulk of the bridge s income (£ 73 million) comes from enforcement meaning fines for those who have failed to pay! 2. M6 Toll - West Midlands (£ 53.7 million) Despite charging almost three times as much as the Dartford Crossing the revenue generated by the M6 Toll road isn t quite as great but is still a huge £ 53.7 million. 3. A533 Mersey Gateway - Halton Cheshire (£ 41.2 million) Another high-earning bridge is the Mersey Gateway in Cheshire which connects the towns of Runcorn and Widnes which made over £ 40 million between October 2020 and September 2021. UK S Priciest toll roads 1. M6 Toll - West Midlands (£ 7.00) The M6 Toll is by far the most expensive stretch of road to use in the UK with a charge of £ 7.00 for class 2 vehicles (cars) to use between the hours of 7am and 7pm. That charge is almost doubled for class 5 vehicles (HGVs and coaches) which have to pay £ 12.60 although there are discounts for both at off-peak times and weekends. 2. M25 Dartford Crossing - Dartford Essex (£ 2.50) The Dartford Crossing costs £ 2.50 to cross for cars (although is free for motorcycles) with a £ 70 fine if you fail to pay which many people clearly end up having to pay as we ve seen through the bridge s £ 73 million enforcement income. The crossing is one of the busiest stretches of road in the entire country with the charge being branded as a congestion scheme 3. Mersey Gateway & Tamar Bridge - Cheshire & Devon (both £ 2.00) Two toll routes are tied in third place with a cost of £ 2.00 each. The first also had the third-highest revenue the Mersey Gateway while the second is the Tamar Bridge in Plymouth.