The UK's toll roads

19 toll roads currently operate across the UK: 2 on motorways, 9 on A-road bridges and tunnels, and 8 on minor road bridges
How you pay depends on the crossing: Some take cash or contactless on the spot, while others charge you automatically via number plate cameras
You can avoid tolls altogether: Sat nav apps have built-in "avoid tolls" options.

With the recent increase in charges for driving through the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels in London, we thought we’d take a look at how many toll roads there are in the UK - and how much they’ll cost you…

What are toll roads?

A toll road is essentially a public road that motorists pay a fee to use. According to RAC, this fee will go towards road maintenance costs and also help fund construction work and improvements. Paying to drive on a toll road often provides you with a direct journey, with far less road congestion.

You might need to pay a toll to drive along some roads or specific bridges. Do your research before starting your journey and consider whether you’d rather get somewhere quicker or save on transport costs.

Are Blackwall and Silvertown traditional toll roads?

Although the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels work in a similar way to traditional toll roads, they are slightly different. Rather than paying as you approach each tunnel, they work in a similar way to the Congestion charge - using TfL’s Auto Pay to charge you £1.55 off-peak or £4.20 at peak times (6 to 10am heading north; 4 to 7pm heading south) to cross the tunnels.

A camera will catch your number plate and you pay for the time window when you were driving. You don’t have to stop at any point to pay. Just make sure you’re signed up to Auto Pay.

How many toll roads are there in the UK and how much do they cost?

As of 22 September, 2026, the UK government’s toll road charges page confirms there are 19 toll roads throughout the UK:

2 on motorways
9 on bridges and tunnels on A roads
8 on bridges on minor roads

Road type	Road name	Road, bridge or tunnel	Location	Toll charge (varies by vehicle type)
Motorway	M6	M6 Toll	West Midlands	From £9.50 to £12
Motorway	M25	Dartford Crossing	Dartford, Essex	From £2.80 to £8.40
A road	A4	Batheaston Bridge	Bath, Somerset	From £1 to £2
A road	A15	Humber Bridge	Hull, Yorkshire	From £1.50 to £12
A road	A19	Tyne Tunnels	Wallsend, Tyne and Wear	From £2.34
A road	A38	Tamar Bridge	Plymouth. Devon	From £1.50 to £16
A road	A41	Mersey Tunnels, Queensway	Birkenhead, Liverpool	From £2.40
A road	A57	Dunham Bridge	Lincoln, Lincolnshire	From 70p to £4
A road	A59	Mersey Tunnels, Kingsway	Wallasey, Liverpool	From £2.40
A road	A533	Mersey Gateway	Halton, Cheshire	From £2.40
A road	A3025	Itchen Bridge	Southampton, Hampshire	From £1.20 to £40
Minor	B471	Whitchurch Bridge	Pangbourne, Berkshire	From 60p
Minor	B3129	Clifton Suspension Bridge	Bristol	From £1
Minor	B4350	Whitney-On-Wye	Whitney-On-Wye, Hereford	From £1
Minor	B4044	Swinford Bridge	Swinford, Oxfordshire	From 5p
Minor	B5159	Warburton Bridge	Warburton, Greater Manchester	From £1
Minor	Boat Lane, Great Ouseburn	Aldwark Bridge	Aldwark, North Yorkshire	From £1
Minor	Kingsland Bridge	Kingsland Bridge	Shrewsbury, Shropsh ire	From 20p
Minor	Cartford Lane, Preston	Cartford Bridge	Preston, Lancashire	From 50p

How do you pay for toll roads?

Toll road payment methods will vary depending on which type of crossing you’re using:

You’ll pay via cash or contactless on older toll roads like the M6 toll
Some toll roads, like the Dartford Crossing, require you to pay online (or by phone) by a deadline after you’ve crossed
Newer crossings, like Blackwall and Silvertown will use number plate recognition cameras to bill you automatically

Always check the information before you travel. If you miss a payment deadline or pay incorrectly, you could face a more significant fine.

How can I plan routes that avoid toll roads?

There’s often an alternative - and often more scenic route - to a toll road. Sat navs and apps can help you avoid them with ease. On Google Maps, you just need to tap the three dots next to your destination when planning your route and select ‘Avoid tolls’. Other apps like Apple Maps, Waze and in-car systems have similar functions.

Don’t discount physical maps either. Although they won’t have newer schemes like Blackwall and Silvertown, they will cover the majority of toll roads in the UK.

Sources

https://www.gov.uk/uk-toll-roads

https://www.evanshalshaw.com/blog/guide-to-uk-toll-roads-and-bridges/

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/general/what-you-need-to-know-as-silvertown-and-blackwall-tunnel-charges-rise/

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/legal/a-guide-to-uk-toll-roads-bridges/

https://www.m6toll.co.uk/

https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/auto-pay

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Frequently Asked Questions

Toll roads exist to fund the cost of building and maintaining specific roads, bridges or tunnels (particularly expensive infrastructure like river crossings) without relying solely on general taxation.

Most toll roads charge you either at a physical barrier (cash or contactless) as you cross, or via automatic number plate recognition cameras. Some require online or phone payment within a set deadline after your journey.

Other road charging schemes include:

Related tags:

Temporary Car Insurance

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