When a landslip blocked the main road between Bath and Kelston, drivers suddenly faced a 14-mile detour.
One local businessman decided to solve the problem himself.
Mike Watts built a 400-meter private toll road across his land — without prior planning permission — and opened it to drivers.
The road charged £2 (about $2.59) per vehicle, and within days over 100,000 cars had used it to bypass the long detour.
Watts said the project cost around $390,000, which he financed by using his own home as collateral.
The Kelston Toll Road operated for several weeks before closing once the original highway reopened and local authorities reviewed the project.
One blocked road.
One bold solution.
One local businessman decided to solve the problem himself.
Mike Watts built a 400-meter private toll road across his land — without prior planning permission — and opened it to drivers.
The road charged £2 (about $2.59) per vehicle, and within days over 100,000 cars had used it to bypass the long detour.
Watts said the project cost around $390,000, which he financed by using his own home as collateral.
The Kelston Toll Road operated for several weeks before closing once the original highway reopened and local authorities reviewed the project.
One blocked road.
One bold solution.
When a landslip blocked the main road between Bath and Kelston, drivers suddenly faced a 14-mile detour.
One local businessman decided to solve the problem himself.
Mike Watts built a 400-meter private toll road across his land — without prior planning permission — and opened it to drivers.
The road charged £2 (about $2.59) per vehicle, and within days over 100,000 cars had used it to bypass the long detour.
Watts said the project cost around $390,000, which he financed by using his own home as collateral.
The Kelston Toll Road operated for several weeks before closing once the original highway reopened and local authorities reviewed the project.
One blocked road.
One bold solution.
