Dart Charge goes live on 30 November

With the launch of Dart Charge set for 30 November, work to remove the toll booths will begin on Friday 28 November - the same weekend the new payment arrangements go live. Dart Charge means that drivers will no longer stop at a barrier to pay the charge. Instead, they will pay online, by phone, by post or in one of thousands of payzone retail outlets. The new payment arrangements will signal the start of major construction work to improve the road layout at the crossing, with 27 lanes of traffic reduced
November 14, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
With the launch of Dart Charge set for 30 November, work to remove the toll booths will begin on Friday 28 November - the same weekend the new payment arrangements go live. Dart Charge means that drivers will no longer stop at a barrier to pay the charge. Instead, they will pay online, by phone, by post or in one of thousands of payzone retail outlets.

The new payment arrangements will signal the start of major construction work to improve the road layout at the crossing, with 27 lanes of traffic reduced to four in each direction and a new safety system of traffic signals and barriers on the approach to the tunnels northbound, which will prevent over-height vehicles from entering the tunnels, hold traffic in case of an incident or congestion in the tunnel, and allow the safe release of vehicles under escort, such as hazardous loads.

The roadworks will continue until spring 2015 when drivers will feel the full benefit of the changes through quicker journey times. Until then drivers can expect some delays but all work is being planned to minimise disruption.  

503 Highways Agency project director Nigel Gray said: “The payment booths have been part of the Dartford landscape since 1963 but they contribute to congestion and cause delays. That’s why they are being removed and we are introducing a new payment system called Dart Charge. From 30 November drivers will no longer pay at the booths. Instead they will pay in advance or by midnight the day after crossing, helping to speed up journeys.”
Charging, Tolling & RUC

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Funding shortfall for US Interstate upgrades
    May 11, 2012
    Andrew Bardin Williams investigates tolling on the federal Interstate system as maintenance and upgrade requirements increasingly outpace funding The I-95 corridor through North Carolina is one of the most heavy trafficked interstates in the US, seeing upwards of 46,000 vehicles per day in some stretches-and North Carolina’s Department of Transportation (NCDOT) estimates this number will to rise to 98,000 vehicles per day by 2040. Along with the rest of the federal interstate system, the North Carolina str
    Read More
  • Connecticut Transit uses web feedback to improve user experience
    May 27, 2014
    Connecticut champions open government and open data to help fostertransparency, accountability and citizen engagement – and that includes transportation matters as Andrew Bardin Williams discovers. The last thing anyone wanted was to inconvenience or displace others - least of all people who lived and worked in the neighbourhood. Yet, workers in an office building in downtown New Haven, Conn., were tired of shuffling through hoards of people who kept sitting on the stoop to the building while waiting for th
    Read More
  • Car traffic in London is down but congestion is up, says new study
    May 18, 2016
    London Congestion Trends, an in-depth study of the causes of traffic congestion in London between 2012 and 2015 published by Inrix, indicates that congestion in London is increasing, with journey times in Central London growing by 12 per cent annually. Inrix says this is consistent with data that shows that the London economy and population are growing, which normally results in an increase in gridlock. Further, unemployment and fuel prices are down, both of which usually mean a rise in traffic. Despite thi
    Read More
  • Big data bonus for Dublin’s buses
    August 19, 2014
    Dublin’s smart research partnership speeds buses More than 50% of people travelling into and across the Irish capital rely on public transport, and four out of 10 these use buses meaning Dublin Bus carries some 120 million passengers a year.
    Read More

Highlighted Content