THE recent sale of the M6 Toll road round Birmingham for £1.9 billion raises some interesting thoughts about our own, well Halton’s actually, soon to be opened toll bridge across the Mersey.
The M6 Toll, which cost £900 million to build, opened in 2003 and it is widely reported has never shown a profit.
This is despite toll charges of between £3.80 and £5.50 for cars and £11 for lorries.
Apparently the road is currently losing £25 million a year. Up to date it has lost some £1.9 billion.
The toll road does not give free travel for locals so if anything should be more capable of showing a profit than the Mersey crossing.
Perhaps Warrington Borough Council has been wise to stay clear of this project as it appears some of these guaranteed money making infrastructure schemes are not all they are cracked up to be.
If the Mersey Toll goes the same way as the M6 Toll Halton Borough Council and its council tax payers could be facing some very big bills indeed.
CHRIS LEE Penketh
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