Southampton: Drivers pay more to use the Itchen Bridge toll

This is the second increase in recent years after the council also put the toll fee up in February 2023

Drivers will have to pay more money to cross a road bridge which links a city with its communities.

The toll to drive over the Itchen Bridge, which links Southampton and Woolston, has increased.

Off-peak fees have been scrapped and all car crossings will rise to £1 for non-residents - or 40p for those with a Smart Cities Card.

The city council hopes the move could generate £800,000 over three years for the struggling authority.

Previously cars, small vans and small 4x4s paid £1 at peak times and 80p off-peak.

There has also been an increase for trucks and lorries to £40 per crossing, up from £25.

The bridge links Woolston to the city centre

The purpose of the toll increase is to manage traffic by prompting drivers to make a meaningful decision on whether to use the Itchen Bridge the council said.

It added that the toll increase will also contribute to maintenance work of the bridge, which is set to take place this summer.

Councillor Eamonn Keogh, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: "The decision to remove the off-peak charge for the Itchen Bridge is essential if we want to preserve this key highway asset for the future and it is the fairest way, given the considerable wear and tear that the bridge incurs on a daily basis."We fully appreciate that the Itchen Bridge is a key link between the communities of Southampton, and I encourage our residents to ensure that they are signed up to the SmartCities card to benefit from the residents' concessionary toll."

This is the second increase in recent years after the council also put the toll fee up in February 2023.

In November, the Labour-run local authority said it still needed another £15m to balance its budget for this year.

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