Merseyflow bridge crossings

You pay every time you cross. There’s no return fare. Each way charges are as follows:

• £2.40 for cars and small vans
• £7.20 for large vans and lorries
• £9.60 for large lorries and buses

Motorbikes, mopeds, cyclists and pedestrians cross for free.

These are two bridges in Cheshire, the original Silver Jubilee Bridge and the newer Mersey Gateway. Both go over two waterways, the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal. You’ll need to pay a charge to cross these two bridges. You can read more about the charges on our Merseyflow page.

Eligible residents of the Borough of Halton can register for the Local User Discount Scheme by paying an annual administration fee of £12 (or £10 if set up on auto-renewal). This allows unlimited personal trips across the Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee bridges at no further charge. For Blue Badge holders, a one-off £5 registration fee grants unlimited crossings in their registered vehicle.

Drivers living outside Halton can opt for a Pre-Pay account with a £5 setup fee. This saves 10% per trip using a windscreen sticker or 5% via video number plate registration. Frequent commuters can buy monthly passes for a flat rate of £110 per month for unlimited 24/7 access or £75 per month for off-peak travel.

Vehicles registered under any discount or exemption scheme receive a physical windscreen sticker with a microchip, which overhead sensors detect automatically on the bridges. These stickers are assigned directly to one number plate and cannot be transferred between vehicles.

No, cash payments have stopped being accepted. Caura is the quickest way to pay. It’s just two taps.

Yes. You have to pay each time you drive over the crossing. You can pay for a return journey with one single transaction on Caura.

Caura is the fastest way to pay. It takes a second via the app.

Charges apply all day, every day. You need to pay whenever you cross the Merseyflow bridges.

You can view any payments you’ve made by going to the History tab in Caura. Tap on any payment in the list to view more detail. From there, you can even export a receipt to your email.

If you forget to pay by midnight the day after you drive over either bridge, you will face a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) of £50. This fine is reduced to £25 if paid within 14 days, but increases to £75 if left unpaid after 28 days. Unpaid fines are registered as civil debt and can lead to enforcement action from the council.

The bridges are hard to miss and the routes are clearly signposted. There are no barriers or booths, so remember to pay once you've crossed.