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The M6 Toll Road is a 27-mile private-sector expressway to the north of Birmingham. The M6 is the key artery through the West Midlands, but it suffers from chronic congestion as part of Britain’s longest and most important motorway. The Birmingham Northern Relief Road, as the M6 Toll was originally known, was built to siphon off the through traffic between the South-east and the North-West.

Site clearance started in 2000, construction of the road began in 2002 and it opened in December 2003 (Link M6 Toll History). When planned, it was forecast that 72000 vehicles would use the link, but just half that number of motorists take the route today (2013 - Link Overpriced and underused – The Independent) whilst in contrast, the M6 itself is still carrying in excess of 125,000 vehicles a day with many claiming that the toll route’s benefits do not warrant the charges (2013 rates: currently £5.50 for private cars and £11 for trucks, with modest discounts for weekend and overnight use - see SP2685 : M6 Toll Tariff, Chapel Green) and that when traffic is flowing reasonably freely on the original M6, there is no incentive to use the toll route which is marginally longer than the free motorway, with time also lost for stopping to pay at the toll booth.

The toll motorway is operated by Midland Expressway Ltd, which has the concession until 2054 – when the road is due to be handed back to the government.

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