Shadow toll

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title: "Shadow toll" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["toll-(fee)", "roads-in-the-united-kingdom", "public–private-partnership"] topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_toll" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

A shadow toll is a contractual payment made by a government per driver using a road to a private company that operates a road built or maintained using private finance initiative funding. Payments are based, at least in part, on the number of vehicles using a section of road, often over a 20- to 30-year period. The shadow tolls or per vehicle fees are paid directly to the company without intervention or direct payment from the users.

On more recent shadow toll schemes in the United Kingdom, payments reduce as the number of vehicles increases, to encourage availability of the road rather than the number of vehicles carried.

History

First proposed by the UK Government in 1993, shadow tolls have been widely used in the UK and also to a more limited extent in other countries, including Belgium, Canada, Finland, Netherlands, Spain and the United States. Portugal introduced schemes in 1999 but replaced these with the public tolls in 2004.

The use of shadow tolls in the UK has reduced over time with PFI funded project payments being made based primarily on the availability of the road, and not on the number of vehicles using it. Beyond a certain number of vehicles, the 'toll' paid by the government in more recent schemes is zero.

Criticism

The World Bank observes that transaction costs 'can be very high' due to the difficulties surrounding legal arrangements and the need for continuous vehicle counts and that use of shadow tolls has led to significant criticism in The Netherlands.

The Portuguese government removed shadow tolls in 2004 after finding that "payment obligations in connection with the shadow toll system were not compatible with the need to spend on improving and maintaining the other national motorways".

List of shadow toll roads

Europe

;United Kingdom

  • M1 Lofthouse to Bramham link road
  • M40 Denham to Warwick
  • M80 Stepps to Haggs
  • A1 Darrington to Dishforth
  • A1(M) Alconbury to Peterborough
  • A13 Limehouse to Wennington (Greater London)
  • A19 Dishforth to Tyne Tunnel
  • A249 Stockbury (M2) to Sheerness
  • A30 / A35 Exeter to Bere Regis
  • A417 Gloucester to Cirencester
  • A419 Swindon to Cirencester
  • A50 Stoke to Derby link
  • A55 Llanfairpwll to Holyhead
  • A69 Carlisle to Newcastle

;Belgium

  • A605 / E25 Cointe Tunnel

;Finland

  • VT4 / E75 Järvenpää-Lahti

;Netherlands

  • A9 Wijkertunnel

;Spain

Oceania

;Australia

Middle East

;Israel

North America

;Canada

References

External websites in relation to North American shadow tolls

References

  1. "FHWA - Center for Innovative Finance Support - Study Reports - Selective Use of Shadow Tolls".
  2. (2012-05-14). "Compelling case for UK road charging, IFS study says". [[BBC News]].
  3. "Road Projects". FreshFields.
  4. "Toll Roads and Concessions". World Bank.
  5. "Portugal: Shadow Toll System is Replaced".
  6. "M1-A1 Link Road (Lofthouse to Bramham)". Highways Agency.
  7. "M40 Denham to Warwick". Highways Agency.
  8. "M80 Stepps to Haggs, Scotland".
  9. "A1 Darrington to Dishforth". Highways Agency.
  10. "A1(M) Alconbury to Peterborough". Highways Agency.
  11. "DBFO Briefing Pack - 2b - A13 Thames Gateway DBFO project fact sheets". Highways Agency.
  12. "A19 Dishforth to Tyne Tunnel". Highways Agency.
  13. "A249 Stockbury (M2) to Sheerness DBFO Contract". Highways Agency.
  14. "A30 Exeter to Bere Regis". Highways Agency.
  15. "A419/A417 Swindon to Gloucester". Highways Agency.
  16. "A50/A564 Stoke to Derby Link". Highways Agency.
  17. (2021-09-03). "The shadow A55 toll that must be paid every year and is costing taxpayers millions". North Wales Live / Daily Post.
  18. "A69 Carlisle to Newcastle". Highways Agency.
  19. "NEW BRUNSWICK:Tolls Ended on Fredericton-Moncton TR". tollroadnews.

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toll-(fee)roads-in-the-united-kingdompublic–private-partnership