The M25 Junction 1A toll, in plain English
M25 J1A is the first junction on the Kent side after the QE2 Bridge. Drivers heading south from Essex see "Junction 1A Dartford" on the sign as they come off the bridge. There's no separate toll at J1A. It's the Dart Charge: £3.50 car, £8.40 HGV, due by midnight the day after.
Where M25 J1A is and what it connects
M25 Junction 1A sits in Dartford, Kent, on the south bank of the Thames. Driving anti-clockwise on the M25 (the direction signed "Heathrow"), J1A is the first junction after the QE2 Bridge. Driving clockwise (signed "Dartford Crossing"), it's the last junction before you enter the southbound approach.
J1A is a complicated grade-separated junction carrying:
- The A282 spur, which extends across the crossing as the legal road designation
- The A206 Bob Dunn Way to Dartford town centre and Crayford
- The A226 London Road to Greenhithe, Stone, Bluewater shopping centre and Northfleet
- Access roads to Dartford Tunnel southbound emergency turn-back (rarely used)
Whichever exit you take off J1A southbound, the gantry north of the junction has already logged your plate against the £3.50 Dart Charge. You pay later, not at the gantry.
Rate at J1A, by vehicle
Identical to northbound at J31. Direction doesn't affect the price.
| Vehicle class | Pay-as-you-go | Pre-pay | Pre-pay saves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorcycle (Class A) | Free | Free | n/a |
| Car (Class B) | £3.50 | £2.80 | 70p |
| Van under 3.5t (Class B) | £3.50 | £2.80 | 70p |
| 2-axle goods over 3.5t (Class C) | £4.20 | £3.60 | 60p |
| Multi-axle HGV (Class D) | £8.40 | £7.20 | £1.20 |
What J1A southbound looks like at peak
The southbound approach across the QE2 Bridge handles four lanes of traffic and is generally faster-flowing than the tunnel approach northbound. The pinch point is on the bridge itself in high winds: National Highways lowers the speed limit to 30mph in winds over 50mph and closes the bridge entirely above 60mph.
- Weekday 7-9:30am: +20-45 minutes southbound, the worst of the day.
- Weekday 4-7pm: +10-25 minutes (lighter than tunnel queue northbound).
- Friday 3-8pm: +30-60 minutes, mostly bridge-side.
- Bridge wind closure: all southbound traffic diverted through tunnels. Plan an extra 60-90 minutes.
J1A (southbound) versus J31 (northbound)
Dartford side, Kent
- Approach over the QE2 Bridge (1991)
- Four lanes southbound
- No general height restriction
- Closes in winds over 60mph
- A206 / A226 / A282 connections
Thurrock side, Essex
- Approach through the two Dartford Tunnels
- Two lanes per tunnel (four total)
- 4.88m tunnel height limit
- Tunnel closes for hazardous-load escorts
- A1306 / A126 / A282 connections
For the northbound side in detail, see the dedicated M25 J31 toll page. One Dart Charge account covers crossings in either direction.
Related infrastructure pages
M25 J31 toll (northbound)
Thurrock side, through the tunnels.
A282 toll
The road-number version of the same charge.
Free hours and traffic
Peak times and wind closures.
Dartford resident pass
DA postcodes near J1A, £25/yr.
How to pay
Online, phone, Payzone, app.
Missed the deadline?
Decision tree by how late.
M25 J1A questions
Is there a separate toll at M25 Junction 1A?+
No. M25 J1A is the southbound approach to the Dartford Crossing. The single toll, called the Dart Charge, covers the section between J31 in Thurrock and J1A in Dartford. The same rate applies whichever junction you join from.
How much is the M25 Junction 1A toll for a car?+
£3.50 pay-as-you-go or £2.80 on a pre-pay account. The rate is identical to J31 northbound. You pay once per direction, by midnight the day after you cross.
Where is M25 J1A exactly?+
On the Kent side of the Thames, immediately south of the QE2 Bridge. It connects to the A282 spur, the A206 (Bob Dunn Way to Dartford town centre), and the A226 (London Road to Greenhithe and Bluewater). It's the first M25 junction clockwise from the crossing.
Does J1A have a barrier or is it free-flow?+
Free-flow. There are no toll booths at J1A or anywhere on the crossing. ANPR cameras read your number plate as you pass the gantry north of J1A and the charge is logged automatically. You then have until midnight the day after to pay.
Is the J1A toll the same as the QE2 Bridge toll?+
Yes. The QE2 Bridge carries southbound traffic across the Thames, and J1A is its first Kent-side exit. References to 'QE2 Bridge toll', 'Dartford Bridge toll' and 'M25 J1A toll' all describe the same Dart Charge.
Why are there two junction numbers for one crossing?+
Because the M25 is a circular motorway and the Thames crossing is the only break in its loop. J31 is the last northbound junction in Thurrock; J1A is the first southbound junction in Dartford. The 'A' suffix on J1A distinguishes it from J1 (a separate junction near Sevenoaks).
Oliver Wakefield-Smith
Founder, Digital Signet
Independent reference for Dart Charge prices and routing, sourced from gov.uk and updated against announced National Highways tariff changes.
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