Mersey Gateway and Runcorn bridge tolls to rise

Toll charges on the Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee bridges are set to rise.

Recommendations for an increase of about 20% have been put forward by the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board (MGCB) to Halton Borough Council.

If that increase is approved, the toll charge for unregistered cars would rise from £2 to £2.40 in April.

It will be the first toll rise since the Mersey Gateway Bridge, which crosses the River Mersey to link Runcorn and Widnes in Cheshire, opened in 2017.

The proposals also include a £10 increase in penalty charges from the current £40 to £50 in April.

MGCB said toll charges were always expected to rise annually in line with inflation but it had so far managed to defer the annual increases to minimise costs to motorists.

It said its recommendations meant that "barring unforeseen circumstances" charges would remain at that level for three years until April 2028.

If Halton Borough Council's executive board gives the plans the go-ahead, a consultation on the proposals will start in November.

Mike Bennett, managing director of the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board, said: "The whole council team is pleased that we’ve been able to keep toll charges the same for over seven years, as well as providing discounts for eligible Halton residents and regular users of the bridges.

"I would urge anyone who uses the bridge in Halton regularly to register with Merseyflow as that is the only way to get discounts on your crossings and it makes managing your payments so much easier."

Councillor Stef Nelson of Halton Borough Council said: "We always knew that we would need to adjust tolls for inflation to meet the costs of maintaining and operating the bridges.

"The recommendations from the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board set out a sustainable approach to doing that."

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