Toll bridge blamed for queues on busy route into Oxford will reopen next week

A notice on the Swinford Toll Bridge between Eynsham and Oxford states it will reopen on Tuesday February 8.

But it will be operating between 10am and 2pm.

Local residents have claimed the bridge causes traffic jams and pollution and there have been several campaigns over the years to make the bridge toll-free.

An online poll in 2006 on the Witney Gazette website showed that 87.5% of voters want the toll scrapped.

Motorists pay 5p per car, and up to 50p per lorry, to cross the bridge, a Grade II-listed structure.

READ ALSO: Blackwells is up for sale, says family running historic Oxford chain

In 2009, the toll bridge, along with a cottage next to it, a car park and more than four acres of land, was sold for just over £1 million at auction.

A campaign calling for Oxfordshire County Council to buy the bridge was unsuccessful as it said it did not have the funds.

At the time it was reported just under four million vehicles were using the bridge to get in and out of Oxford city centre, which is six miles away, every year.

It was reported to have a gross annual income of around £190,000.

Last year Oxfordshire County Council carried out some resurfacing work in the vicinity of the Toll house after locals and councillors complained that the road ‘looks like it has melted’ while the owners had stopped collecting money during the pandemic.

The county council said the cost of this is being recovered from the owner.

West Oxfordshire district councillor Dan Levy, for the Eynsham and Cassington ward, said: “Most people are unhappy with the toll and blame it for queues. I share the concern, though I also think that queues are often caused by the narrowness of the road and we frequently see lorries hit each other on the bridge.

READ ALSO: Multi-storey car park proposals at John Radcliffe scrapped

“I also think it is helpful to discourage more traffic from using the route rather than the A40 and that if there is no toll it might well be that the queues will remain.

"So it is complicated and needs a more thorough review, including a review of HGV usage and provision of a bike route along the B4044 to Botley, and the encouragement of people to use the excellent S1 bus rather than their own cars to go into Oxford.”

When a Witney Spotted Facebook user shared a picture of a notice advertising for kiosk staff last December some locals said it was "the worst news ever".

They said traffic flow was much improved when the toll collection was suspended for safety reasons during the pandemic.

Mandy Vanstone commented: "Oh dear lord …. Back to a 1:20 minute commute for a 15 mile journey to Abingdon! I haven’t missed the queues one bit."

Terri Pearce added: "I'm not paying .. it has been heaven without the huge holdups this stupid bridge causes #boycotteynshamtollbridge"

"Bloody traffic jam queues for miles! Stay closed, I can actually get across the bridge in under two mins, when you're open I have to leave for work the day before," posted Andy Ellis.

Some said instead of hiring a toll collector the bridge owners should get an number plate recognition system or "put a bucket out each side and let people chuck the money in, it will cause a lot less traffic."

The toll house was contacted for comment.