M6 Toll

The M6 Toll (previously called the Birmingham North Relief Road, or BNRR) is the United Kingdom's first toll-paying motorway. Designed to alleviate the increasing congestion on the M6 through Birmingham and the Black Country, it connects M6 Junction 4 at the NEC to M6 Junction 11A at Wolverhampton with 27 miles of three-lane motorway. This busiest section of the M6 was previously carrying up to 180,000 vehicles per day when it was designed to carry only 72,000. The new M6 Toll road is touted by its operator as saving up to 45 minutes journey time over the old road before the opening of the toll road.

Tolls

As of the road's opening, tolls were £1 for motorcycles, £2 for cars, £5 for vans and £10 for lorries, each to rise by £1 after the first ten million vehicles. This figure was achieved in August 2004. A lower price is available during off-peak hours (23:00 - 06:00) as well as at the Langley Mill tolls for Northbound exit and Southbound entry to the motorway.

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On 23 July 2004, the toll for HGVs was reduced from £10 to £6 due to the low numbers of lorries using the new motorway.

Related Topics:
23 July - 2004 - HGV

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Prices rose on 14 June 2005 by 50 pence for cars and motorbikes and £1 for larger vehicles.

Related Topics:
14 June - 2005

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The 1992 concession entitles MEL to change the toll rates at six-monthly intervals and there is no cap on the rates changed (see Hansard http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199900/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds05/text/50614w04.htm).

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Motorcycles no longer appear on the roadside tariff signage, but they are NOT toll-free. Some car drivers couldn't tell the difference between a car and a motorbike, so consequently motorcycles were removed from the tariff.

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