Motorists were able to drive over the Itchen Bridge free of charge this morning.

Car drivers are charged £1 to drive in and out of Southampton city centre, via Woolston, when travelling over the Itchen Bridge.

However, on Monday morning motorists were able to drive over the bridge for free, without having to stop for the barrier due to the pay machines being out of order.

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Congestion on the bridge was unusually light during rush hour as cars didn’t have to queue for the barrier.

In a statement, Cllr Eamonn Keogh, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport: “This morning we experienced a technical problem with the card reader on one of the Itchen Bridge lanes.

"As a result, we raised the barriers during the morning peak to avoid inconveniencing people on their journeys.

“We hope to have the issue resolved today and in the meantime we will close the lane experiencing the issue to facilitate safe access for repairs.”