Toll bridge booth set alight by arsonists
ATTACK BLAMED FOR DAMAGE AT COMMUTER CROSSING PLAGUED BY DELAYS
A TOLL booth that charges motorists 12p to cross a bridge has been torched by arsonists.
Police and fire crews were called to the Warburton Toll Bridge – the only route across the River Mersey and Manchester Ship Canal between the M6 and M60 motorways – at around 1.30am on Thursday.
A spokesman for GMP confirmed the fire was being treated as arson and said an investigation has been launched.
Photos shared on social media show the structure badly damaged but still standing.
It’s understood that Warburton Bridge Road, which is between Partington in Trafford and Lymm in Cheshire, remains open and drivers can still cross the bridge.
GMP said: “Police were called just before 1.30am by the fire service to reports of arson at Warburton bridge.
“Officers attended and found that the toll booth had been destroyed by fire. “Enquiries are ongoing.” A spokesman for the Warburton Toll Action Group said in the short-term the fire meant that there would be no delays on the roads as people stop to pay fares.
They said: “We have been informed by our Facebook membership that the toll booth is non-operational this morning and the pictures showing the remains of a burnt out booth support this.
“Whilst in the short term we hope everyone is ok, we will be in no doubt that Peel Port will soon rebuild and continue to collect its toll fares.
“As we receive more information we will update our Facebook page. At least in the short term, the local road networks around Warburton, Partington and Hollins Green will not have the severe congestion at peak traffic time that have been causing terrible delays to journeys.”
Earlier this year, the M.E.N. reported how lengthy queues of commuters waiting to pay at the toll booth were causing hours of delays in the area.
Fed up with the daily tailbacks, locals began paying the fee themselves – all in one go.
Each week they would hand over £120 to speed up crossings over the privatelyowned bridge which they say left them ‘prisoners in their own homes.’
To start, resident Diane Grant paid the fee out of her own pocket, but thanks to a Facebook campaign by the Warburton Toll Bridge Action Group, they now receive donations.
Anyone with information relating to the fire is asked to contact police on 101 quoting log number 0090 of May 10.