Topic: Runcorn Bridge...

[owens_2k]

The new bridge will be three lanes per direction with no stopping from the M56 across and from Speke Road back. It will be tolled, but if you are within Halton you get a free pass for the bridge. ANPR is used to charge you for using the bridge and the old bridge will be closed for two years to be upgraded. Once it is re-opened it will be for public transport/taxis and Cyclists only.

Where did you read about the old bridge being closed for two years and made only for public transport?

[Swissgaz]

Where did you read about the old bridge being closed for two years and made only for public transport?

The Silver Jubilee Bridge will be remodelled and used for local traffic, once the new bridge has opened.

When the Mersey Gateway Bridge opens, the Silver Jubilee Bridge will become tolled, but it will be free for public transport, blue badge holders, cyclists and pedestrians.

For drivers, it will cost the same to cross as the new Mersey Gateway Bridge.

[Tsar Kastik]

The tolls, the tolls


http://www.haltonchamber.co.uk/news/mersey-crossing-tolls-faq.html

[redbyrdz]

The tolls, the tolls


http://www.haltonchamber.co.uk/news/mersey-crossing-tolls-faq.html

So 25 free trips per month if you're a Halton resident - that's not enough if you have to cross for your commute.

And there won't be any toll booths, you're expected to pay somehow after crossing...that'll add a nice penalty charge to lots of casual drivers.

A free bus service across the old bridge though.



....and better cycling facilities, thats all I need

[Mullalove]

I think making Runcorn bridge for the locals is a great idea as a widnes lad, however not sure about they expect us to pay for it. Probably send some heads round to a bike from ya shed.

[kellan]

The new bridge and link roads will be open to traffic just after midnight on the morning of Saturday 14th October.

At the same time, the old bridge will close for a year of refurbishments.

Tolls will be enforced immediately.

Check your bus routes. They've all changed to some extent to account for the fact they've rerouted over the new bridge.

The opening is being marked with a light show/fireworks display starting at 8.30pm if you're into that sort of thing.

[rob1966]

Cracking bridge but the tolls are a pisstake. Even with discount its £7.20 per crossing for an HGV. That's just going to add additional heavy traffic to Warrington. The boss of Halton Concrete said the added cost is going to lead to job losses.

Stobart does the Transport for the big chilled Tesco RDC at the gateway, so all the deliveries for the M56 corridor, Cheshire etc goes over the existing Bridge. I've no idea if any deal has been struck between Halton and Tesco, but there is no way they are going to pay £15 per run. When I work for them, I occasionally do the aluminium run, taking 26ton ingots made from recycled cans from Latchford to the train in Widnes. Normally you skirt Warrington town centre, down the Daresbury express way and then over the bridge. That run will now be through Warrington Town centre. Its normally 5 runs a shift with about 3 or 4 trucks working the run.

I can see trucks that use the M56 and Bridge to get to Widnes and Speke either cutting through Warrington or using the M62 instead. Hardly any trucks use the M6 toll, this won't be different.

[John C]

Cracking bridge but the tolls are a pisstake. Even with discount its £7.20 per crossing for an HGV. That's just going to add additional heavy traffic to Warrington. The boss of Halton Concrete said the added cost is going to lead to job losses.

Stobart does the Transport for the big chilled Tesco RDC at the gateway, so all the deliveries for the M56 corridor, Cheshire etc goes over the existing Bridge. I've no idea if any deal has been struck between Halton and Tesco, but there is no way they are going to pay £15 per run. When I work for them, I occasionally do the aluminium run, taking 26ton ingots made from recycled cans from Latchford to the train in Widnes. Normally you skirt Warrington town centre, down the Daresbury express way and then over the bridge. That run will now be through Warrington Town centre. Its normally 5 runs a shift with about 3 or 4 trucks working the run.

I can see trucks that use the M56 and Bridge to get to Widnes and Speke either cutting through Warrington or using the M62 instead. Hardly any trucks use the M6 toll, this won't be different.

The tolls literally are daylight robbery mate, twat of a concept. But at less than 10mpg for your trucks, operators will be compelled to pay rather than travel even a short distance but they are going to have to pass the cost on.

I heard today that it's cost £600m to build but it's costing £600m to subsidise Halton residents over a period, if that's true it simply bonkers. Just build the fucking bridge and fuck off.

[Pistolero]

dirty robbing c*nts...

[rob1966]

The tolls literally are daylight robbery mate, twat of a concept. But at less than 10mpg for your trucks, operators will be compelled to pay rather than travel even a short distance but they are going to have to pass the cost on.

I heard today that it's cost £600m to build but it's costing £600m to subsidise Halton residents over a period, if that's true it simply bonkers. Just build the fucking bridge and fuck off.

Unless its more than 20 miles to divert, they won't use the bridge. You can go from Lymm, through Latchford then via Warrington to get to Widnes, loads will just do this. There is an Asda RDC just over the old Severn Bridge, we have to go M50, Monmouthshire and back down the M4 rather than pay the toll on the bridge - but can come back over the bridge as its free from Wales to England.

Biggest losers though are the people commuting to their jobs, an added £880 a year cannot be justified. Loads will look at switching jobs.

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

Biggest losers though are the people commuting to their jobs, an added £880 a year cannot be justified. Loads will look at switching jobs.

That's a horrific expense to incur, I'd be fuming if it was me. Well, I'm still pretty cross about it even though I don't use it!

[rob1966]

That's a horrific expense to incur, I'd be fuming if it was me. Well, I'm still pretty cross about it even though I don't use it!

If you get a sticker you get a whopping 10% discount, so its £1.80 each way, or you can pay £90 a month for unlimited crossings. Even discounted, at 47 weeks its £846. Motorbikes and scooters are free though.

[Tesco tearaway]

If you get a sticker you get a whopping 10% discount, so its £1.80 each way, or you can pay £90 a month for unlimited crossings. Even discounted, at 47 weeks its £846. Motorbikes and scooters are free though.

Sorted 

[Tsar Kastik]

Local economy gets another shot in the arm(sp?).

'About 50,000 motorists have faced a £20 fine for failing to pay a toll to use a new bridge across the River Mersey in the month since it opened.
The Mersey Gateway's operators said over two million drivers had used the bridge and about £1m of fines had been issued since it opened on 14 October.
Anti-tolls campaigner Conn O'Dwyer said the tolls were "immoral" and the fines "hit working people the hardest".
The bridge's operators said they were working to reduce the number of fines.
Motorists crossing the bridge are given until midnight the following day to pay the tolls, before fines are issued automatically.
The penalty for not paying can increase to up to £60, depending on when the fine is paid.'




http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-42056196#_=_

[AndyMuller]

Close it, don't need anymore wools getting over here.

[sminp]

I don’t agree with the tolls but if you’re stupid enough not to pay then it’s your own fault when the fine inevitably lands at your door.

[Statto Red]

I don’t agree with the tolls but if you’re stupid enough not to pay then it’s your own fault when the fine inevitably lands at your door.

It's not that they're not paying, it's the system for paying is a complete shambles, lack of signage on how to pay & that you have to pay by certain deadline or get a further penalty fee, apparently the phone lines not working properly/or computer systems down at the call centre or whatever they call it

Love how they keep saying tolls will be scrapped once the bridge has been paid for, when the Mersey tunnels still have tolls even though i think they've been paid for.

[rob1966]

It's not that they're not paying, it's the system for paying is a complete shambles, lack of signage on how to pay & that you have to pay by certain deadline or get a further penalty fee, apparently the phone lines not working properly/or computer systems down at the call centre or whatever they call it

Love how they keep saying tolls will be scrapped once the bridge has been paid for, when the Mersey tunnels still have tolls even though i think they've been paid for.

I always thought the tunnels were paid off years ago, but I looked at an Echo article from 2013 and according to that, the tunnels are still £46.5 million in debt, including recent construction costs and that won't be paid of until 2048.

[sminp]

It's not that they're not paying, it's the system for paying is a complete shambles, lack of signage on how to pay & that you have to pay by certain deadline or get a further penalty fee, apparently the phone lines not working properly/or computer systems down at the call centre or whatever they call it

Love how they keep saying tolls will be scrapped once the bridge has been paid for, when the Mersey tunnels still have tolls even though i think they've been paid for.

Fair enough if that’s the case, I only read the quoted bit above. Such a short timeframe to pay is a joke as well to be honest.

[Giovanni]

Love how they keep saying tolls will be scrapped once the bridge has been paid for, when the Mersey tunnels still have tolls even though i think they've been paid for.

it'll be sold off to some french corporation before it pays for itself

[Nobby Reserve]

At the rate of fines, it should be paid off sometime in late 2019.

Bastards.

[So… Howard Philips]

At the rate of fines, it should be paid off sometime in late 2019.

Bastards.

And aren;t they scrapping fees on the Severn Bridge?

[rob1966]

And aren;t they scrapping fees on the Severn Bridge?

Yes at the end of this year.

[Nobby Reserve]

Problems for Halton Council, who a tribunal have ruled didn't follow correct procedures when implementing the toll, rendering their tolls and fines illegal.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-43698113

HC are appealing the decision, but I'm waiting with my demand for a refund at the ready!

[So… Howard Philips]

Problems for Halton Council, who a tribunal have ruled didn't follow correct procedures when implementing the toll, rendering their tolls and fines illegal.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-43698113

HC are appealing the decision, but I'm waiting with my demand for a refund at the ready!

By all accounts they failed to advertise the details of the charges in two publications. They published in the London Gazette, the usual means of public notifications, but no other. Not the Widnes Bugle or the Runcorn Echo (for the sake of clarity they are made up names).

Without clear notification they whole administrative process is flawed,

That's so Everton, that is.

[12C]

I always thought the tunnels were paid off years ago, but I looked at an Echo article from 2013 and according to that, the tunnels are still £46.5 million in debt, including recent construction costs and that won't be paid of until 2048.

That promise was for the old Queensway tunnel. They then loaded the debt for the second tunnel onto it.
And now we have people in authority saying that this was never promised and that it was a common myth.
My old feller walked through the old one as a child just before the opening and always said that the promise was free trips once the debt was paid.
Funny how goalposts move

[rob1966]

That promise was for the old Queensway tunnel. They then loaded the debt for the second tunnel onto it.
And now we have people in authority saying that this was never promised and that it was a common myth.
My old feller walked through the old one as a child just before the opening and always said that the promise was free trips once the debt was paid.
Funny how goalposts move

Conning fuckers.

Its is funny isn't it. My step dad used to cycle through the tunnel in the days when it was allowed and he told me the same story about one day it was supposed to be free.  I swear I read the same thing in the Echo when I was a kid.

[redbyrdz]

Conning fuckers.

Its is funny isn't it. My step dad used to cycle through the tunnel in the days when it was allowed and he told me the same story about one day it was supposed to be free.  I swear I read the same thing in the Echo when I was a kid.

Cycling is still allowed, but only through the Queensway and only very early and late (times vary a bit between weekdays and weekends).

[rob1966]

Cycling is still allowed, but only through the Queensway and only very early and late (times vary a bit between weekdays and weekends).

Never knew that.

[Red Beret]

Checked wikipedia (fount of all unbiased knowledge that it is) and apparently motorcycles go free through the Queensway tunnel?  Also it does say the tolls were only meant to pay off the tunnel but they've just kept chugging along, especially when the Kingsway was also built.

That said, maintenance costs must be a bitch so there's no chance they'll ever be toll free.

[rob1966]

Checked wikipedia (fount of all unbiased knowledge that it is) and apparently motorcycles go free through the Queensway tunnel?  Also it does say the tolls were only meant to pay off the tunnel but they've just kept chugging along, especially when the Kingsway was also built.

That said, maintenance costs must be a bitch so there's no chance they'll ever be toll free.

Yes that's right, the new tunnel too. Initially we had to pay, I took my part 1 test in Birkenhead, by the time I had taken my glove off, got the money out, put my glove back on and then put the money in, the driver behind me was having a fit. They must have realised it was quicker to let us go through for free. If you look to the far left of the booths, you'll see a sign with a bike on it, above a narrow bit that is wide enough for a bike but not a car.

[12C]

Checked wikipedia (fount of all unbiased knowledge that it is) and apparently motorcycles go free through the Queensway tunnel?  Also it does say the tolls were only meant to pay off the tunnel but they've just kept chugging along, especially when the Kingsway was also built.

That said, maintenance costs must be a bitch so there's no chance they'll ever be toll free.

Funnily enough they make enough money to subsidise the ferries and some bus routes.
I remember a few years ago they had a Geordie in charge of Merseytravel, and he said the uncollected change- (what he meant was when you throw £2 in the correct money bins and get no change or it swallows your money and you can’t be arsed waiting for the attendant so chuck some more in) ran into thousands. He “discovered” this situation and the money was donated to charity from that point. He implied that previously this had simply disappeared into a black hole in the accounts.
Funny that

Edit: the Guy was a bloke called Neil Scales (always came across well on the radio)

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/mersey-tunnel-toll-overpayments-donated-3373059