Warburton Toll Bridge

Warburton Toll Bridge
Lancashire
Location
Carrying:	B5159 road
Crossing:	River Mersey
Location
Grid reference:	SJ69589018
Location:	53°24’27"N, 2°27’33"W
Structure
History
Information
Owned by:	Peel Ports
Website:	warburtontollbridge.co.uk

Warburton Bridge is a privately owned road bridge across the River Mersey to the north of the village of Warburton. It carries the B5159 road over the canalised Mersey, which is here a stretch of the Manchester Ship Canal. The northern diverted route of the river / canal is such that here both banks are in Lancashire, but the location is very close to the old course of the river, which divides Lancashire from Cheshire, in which latter county sits Warburton itself

A commercial undertaking, the bridge is permitted to levy a toll by a private Act of Parliament, incorporating a length of public highway. It was commissioned under the Rixton & Warburton Bridge Act 1863.

The maximum toll than can be charged in respect of the Bridge has remained at 12½ pence (one way) since 1890 and no application to raise the toll has been made to date.

The toll booth

The Warburton Bridge is a high-level cantilever bridge, which provides a connection between the A57 and the A6144 roads. The original stone bridge spanned the River Mersey before it was diverted into the Manchester Ship Canal. Both bridges and the unadopted approach roads are privately maintained.

This is one of the few remaining pre-motorway toll bridges in the United Kingdom.

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Warburton Toll Bridge)

• Warburton Toll Bridge

References

Bridges and crossings on the River Mersey
Footbridge	Thelwall Viaduct	Works bridge	Warburton Toll Bridge	Cadishead Viaduct	Pipe bridge	Aqueduct