Man Builds First Private Toll Road in Britain in at Least 100 years

Mike Watts with his Toll Booth Picture: SWNS

 Mike Watts was forced to drive around a section of the A431 between Bath and Bristol because a landslide had closed the road in February (a 10 mile detour). Council works were due to carry on until the end of the year on the stretch. Not wanting to wait that long, Mike who is a 62 year old businessman employed his own team of road workers and built a 365m-long bypass in the field next to the closed-off section.

Mr Watts spent £150,000 of his own money, to recoup this money he has set up a toll booth. Motorists are charged £2 to use the detour road (£1 for motorbikes). Regular users also have the option to bulk-buy 12 passes for £10. Most are happy to pay the toll to avoid the £10 mile alternative

Toll Road Picture: SWNS

Mike Said : ‘Building a toll road is not an easy everyday thing that people do, and in fact this is the first private toll road in Britain in at least 100 years. But I have had a 100 per cent positive response from the public on this. I think people are very grateful that we have taken the risk to keep pushing with this."