The M25 Junction 31 toll, in plain English
M25 J31 is the Thurrock-side junction that feeds northbound traffic into the Dartford Tunnel. People often search "M25 J31 toll" because that's the junction they joined at. There's no separate J31 toll. It's the Dart Charge: £3.50 for a car, due by midnight the day after you cross.
Where M25 J31 is, and what it connects
M25 Junction 31 sits in Thurrock, Essex, on the north bank of the Thames. It's the last junction before the M25 dives into the two Dartford Tunnels and surfaces in Kent at J1A. Going clockwise (anti-clockwise) on the M25, J31 is between J30 (Lakeside, Tilbury) and the river itself.
The junction itself is a complicated grade-separated interchange carrying:
- The A1306 to West Thurrock, Grays and the Lakeside shopping area
- The A126 to Stanford-le-Hope and Tilbury
- The A282 spur, which is the legal road designation continuing across the crossing
- The eastbound link to Tilbury Port (heavy with HGV traffic)
Whichever of those feeds you use, the next gantry south reads your plate and triggers the Dart Charge. Cars from the A1306, A126 and A282 all pay the same £3.50.
Rate at J31, by vehicle
Identical to the southbound rate at J1A. Direction of travel doesn't affect the charge.
| Vehicle class | Pay-as-you-go | Pre-pay account | 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 |
J31 (northbound) versus J1A (southbound)
The two-junction structure of the Dartford Crossing is the source of most confusion. Here's the simple version.
J31, Thurrock side
- Approach to the two Dartford Tunnels
- Tunnel height limit 4.88m
- Two lanes per tunnel, four total
- Northbound queues run further than southbound at peak
J1A, Dartford side
- Approach to the QE2 Bridge
- No general height restriction (cable-stayed)
- Four lanes southbound
- Closes in winds above 60mph; tunnels handle both directions
For the southbound case in detail, see the dedicated M25 J1A Dartford toll page. Both fall under the same Dart Charge, and a single pre-pay account covers crossings in either direction.
What J31 looks like at peak
The J31 northbound approach to the tunnels is the worse of the two queues most weekdays. The tunnels themselves have lower capacity than the QE2 Bridge (2 lanes per tube versus 4 across the bridge), so traffic backs up onto the M25 mainline whenever there's an incident or a tall vehicle requiring escort.
- Weekday 4-7pm: +30-60 minutes through J31 northbound, on a normal day.
- Friday 3-8pm: +45-90 minutes. The worst of the week.
- Wind closures of the bridge: doubles the tunnel load. Add 60-90 minutes both ways.
- Saturday afternoon: +15-30 minutes, sometimes worse if Lakeside is busy.
See the traffic guide for a full peak-times table.
Related infrastructure pages
M25 J1A toll (southbound)
The Dartford side, across the QE2 Bridge.
A282 toll
The road-number version of the same charge.
Free hours and traffic
10pm-6am free, peak-hour map.
Avoiding J31 entirely
Blackwall, Silvertown and the long way round.
How to pay
The four official payment methods.
Missed the deadline?
Decision tree by how late you are.
M25 J31 questions
Is there a separate toll at M25 Junction 31?+
No. M25 J31 is the northbound approach to the Dartford Crossing. There is one toll, called the Dart Charge, which applies between J31 in Thurrock and J1A in Dartford. The charge is the same regardless of which junction you join from.
How much is the M25 Junction 31 toll for a car?+
£3.50 pay-as-you-go or £2.80 on a pre-pay account. The rate is identical whether you enter the M25 at J31 from the A1306, A126 or A282 spur, because all three feed into the same northbound approach to the tunnels.
Do I pay the J31 toll before or after the crossing?+
Neither in the conventional sense. There are no toll booths. ANPR cameras read your number plate as you pass the gantry south of the tunnels. You then have until midnight the day after to pay online, by phone, app, or in a Payzone shop.
Is the J31 toll the same as the A282 toll?+
Yes. The A282 is the road designation for the M25 spur that runs from J31 through the Dartford Crossing to J1A. References to 'the A282 toll', 'the M25 J31 toll', 'the Dartford toll' and 'Dart Charge' all describe the same charge.
Is J31 free at night?+
Yes. Crossings via the J31 approach are free between 10pm and 6am every day. The cameras still read your plate but no charge is generated.
How does HGV pricing work northbound at J31?+
Multi-axle HGVs pay £8.40 PAYG or £7.20 pre-pay. Two-axle goods over 3.5 tonnes pay £4.20 PAYG / £3.60 pre-pay. The class is determined by axle count and weight, not by direction of travel.
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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