build and to control traffic levels. The loans to pay for the bridge were paid off in 2016. In the early part of the 40 year period this took, a large part of the loan repayments were met from Southampton Council's general funds but in later years the tolls delivered a surplus. The toll remains to control the traffic in the areas surrounding the bridge and to cover the ongoing maintenance of the bridge with money beyond what is needed for maintenance going to general council funds. There is a local myth that there was a promise to scrap the toll once the bridge had been paid for but this is not the case. On 21 December 2010, it was announced that an automatic toll system would replace the staffed booth, saving over £200,000 annually. This system measures the height of the front of the vehicle and number of front wheels to judge the applicable toll for that vehicle. See also Itchen ferry Woolston Floating Bridge Gallery Footnotes External links Live CCTV images of the bridge, toll-end The Itchen Bridge and its Association with Transport Buildings and structures in Southampton Transport in Southampton Toll bridges in England Toll roads in the United Kingdom Bridges in Hampshire Port of Southampton