Itchen Bridge toll collection goes fully automated from Friday, March 1.
Customers using the bridge can pay with a smartcard or coins (no change is given). The council says there’s been a tremendous demand for smartcards and nearly 12,000 toll-enabled smartcards have so far been issued.
Cllr Asa Thorpe, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “We are anticipating a short period where people who have been avoiding the toll machines get used to them but we expect that the delays at peak times will drop away. The automation we have brought in is being used successfully all over the world so we are confident that it will work in Southampton. We have to remember that this will save the council more than £100,000 every year and will help protect essential services.”