Itchen Bridge

The toll is collected for journeys into the city and out of the city at a kiosk manned 24 hours a day. There is no charge to cross the bridge on Christmas day and Boxing day.
Payment is by cash only, or residents tokens if you are entitled to them. We cannot accept payment of the toll by credit or debit card.
You do not need to have the correct change but it will speed up your passage through the toll booth if you do.

The amount you pay to use the bridge depends on which class of vehicle you drive. This list details what class each type of vehicle falls into and what the toll is for that vehicle.

Gross or Gross Vehicle Weight is equivalent to the un-laden weight of the vehicle plus the manufacturers recommended payload. The Toll is based on the full capacity of the vehicle and not the weight at the time of crossing.

The Itchen Bridge provides a toll exemption for people in receipt of the higher rate mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance.

The scheme provides the disabled person with an identity card and tokens to provide them free crossing in any vehicle (with the exception of HGV vehicles).

If you think you may be eligible for the concession please download the application form and guidance notes available below, complete then send it to us.

Visitors or occasional users of the bridge may still be eligible for the concession. We will ask you to show your blue badge, a tax disc showing your disabled exemption if you are in the mobility vehicle, or proof that you are in receipt of the higher rate of mobility, for example a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions.

Concessions are available to residents of Southampton - i.e. Southampton council tax payers only. The concession applies to cars and light vans in class 3 only.

Reduced tolls may be paid for by purchasing resident tokens available at selected vendors (see below). For every purchase of resident tokens you will be asked for proof of your residency by the vendor, this must show your qualifying postcode, e.g. your driving licence or recent utility bill.

The price of the tokens are:
• Peak Periods (Blue token) Mon-Fri 0700 to 0930 and 1600 to 1830 £4.00 per 10 tokens.
• Off-peak (Red token) £3.00 per 10 tokens.

Provision has been made in the tolls order for local businesses operating vehicles in class 4, 5 and 6 and having direct access on or within the boundary shown in the map link at the foot of this page, specifically:

(a) direct access to or abutting the north side of Sholing Road, South East Road, or Heathfield Road, and

(b) all premises having access to the road network by means only of the northwards extension of Hazel Road

Businesses can apply for concessions enabling them to buy tokens at the control building which will reduce the cost of each journey. Proof of the local business address and copies of the vehicle registrations for each vehicle are required at the time of application.

Concessions are available to residents of the City of Southampton, i.e. Southampton council tax payers only, for class 2 vehicles.
The 20p concession in effect will allow free passage to eligible vehicles upon production of a valid permit.

Eligible commuters must apply for the annual permit using the application form below [link], providing proof of residency.

The vehicle or rider must clearly display the valid permit on arrival at the toll booth, and wait for the traffic light to change to green before proceeding, otherwise the rider will be required to pay the normal toll, currently 20p.
Exemption from the toll can only be claimed by showing the permit at the time of each crossing.

For every purchase of resident tokens you will be asked for proof of your residency by the vendor. This must show your qualifying postcode, e.g. your driving licence or recent utility bill. Resident tokens are available from the following vendors:

The tolls are not in place solely to pay for the construction and maintenance of the bridge. They were introduced because the building of such a bridge would increase the volumes of private and commercial traffic from all over the region, particularly during peak times.

The approach roads to the bridge (especially on the eastern side of the river) are not laid out to accommodate such volumes of traffic, so it would therefore be detrimental to the environmental quality of the residential area to the east, and to the historic and quieter southern sector of the city centre to the west. Also the increased congestion will prejudice the convenient use of the bridge by the local people it was primarily intended to assist.

The tolls are significantly higher for commercial vehicles to deter them from using the bridge as a convenient short cut across the city and instead use one of the other two routes which have a better road infrastructure.

Southampton City Council were the first British Authority to impose road pricing regulations to control traffic.

In 1833 the Itchen Bridge Company was formed to build a swing bridge across the river, all roads were built but the admiralty was afraid that the navigation of the river would be obstructed, so they stopped the project in favour of a “floating bridge”.

The Southampton Corporation bought the Itchen Floating Bridge and its roads in 1934. This was a steam-driven chain ferry invented by J.M. Rendel, a pupil of Thomas Telford, and two had already been installed at Dartmouth and Saltash.

Several alternatives were considered over the years but it was decided that the re-building of the Northam Bridge about 1 ½ miles further up-stream was of higher priority.

The new Northam Bridge was opened in 1954, whereupon R. Travers Morgan and Partners were engaged to undertake a new study for the provision of an Itchen Bridge. This led to the enactment of the Southampton Corporation Act 1960, giving the Corporation the powers to construct a bridge, the central span of which was to have a clear width at water level of no less than 350ft and headroom of 80ft above high-water ordinary Spring tides over a width of 100ft.

In 1960 it was assumed that as the bridge would be the direct link between the docks and city centre towards Portsmouth it would qualify for a Government grant but in 1961 the Ministry of Transport stated that they were unable to support the proposal at that time. In 1965 the South Coast Truck Road – later upgraded as the M27 Motorway – was constructed. This together with improvements to the A3024 route (through Northam and Bitterne) would provide the east-west traffic capacity that the Government deemed necessary.

It was therefore apparent that if an Itchen Bridge was to be built it would have to be a local bridge. The City Council decided in 1972 to go ahead with the construction of a two-lane, high level, non-opening bridge to serve the local needs and to be entirely financed by the City Council. In taking this decision it was realised that it would be necessary to impose tolls but the opportunity could be taken to use the tolls to influence the volume of traffic using the bridge for the protection of the environment of the areas on each side of the river, which may have suffered from the excessive traffic.

The contract for the construction of the new bridge and approaches was awarded to Kier Limited in February 1974. The contract construction period was three years. The final total cost of the scheme, including land, fees, etc. was approximately £12.174 million.

At the Inauguration Ceremony on 22nd March 1974 a scroll commemorating the day, some newspapers of the day, coins of the realm and a souvenir brochure were placed into a steel casket which was incorporated in the foundation concrete of one of the piers.

The bridge was opened to traffic on the 1st June 1977, it was officially named "The Itchen Bridge" by HRH Princess Alexandra on the 1st July.

The council had to submit a Private Bill to Parliament to obtain authority for charging the tolls. The Bill went to three readings in the House of Commons before being passed to the House of Lords in May 1973. The Lords Select Committee allowed the Bill to pass, and it became law in July 1973.

The Private Bill is now incorporated in the Hampshire Act 1983, which now provides the legal powers by which the council operates and maintains the bridge.