UK man set up his own toll road without planning permission, and within days 100,000 vehicles were already using it

Sitting somewhere in the countryside between Bath and Kelston in the UK is Kelston Toll Road.

A landslip blocked the single road linking the two English towns, creating a 14-mile detour while the nearby highway was undergoing repairs.

One local businessman saw an opportunity and set up his own 400-meter private toll road, costing drivers around $2.59 (£2) to drive the 400-meter (1,312ft) stretch.

However, built without planning permission, sadly the money-making endeavour didn’t last long.

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The UK toll road

It was a $390,000 (£300,000) venture for local entrepreneur, Mike Watts.

Hearing local drivers had had enough of the 14-mile detour, Watts decided to build a toll road over private land without planning permission with the help of a local farmer.

Also known as a turnpike or tollway, a toll road is a public or private road for which a fee (or toll) is required to use – check out this C7 Corvette speeding past cops at 200mph on a Texas toll road.

He charged $2.59 (£2) to travel the 400-meter (1,312ft) stretch and avoid a lengthy detour – just slightly less than the petrol would have cost.

Mike and his wife put their house up as collateral to fund the road’s construction.

But they never guessed how many people would actually use it.

With people keen to shave precious minutes off their commute, 100,000 cars were using it within days.

It even appeared on Google Maps.

The shortcut’s demise

Despite the Kelston Toll Road not being approved by the local council, Watts hadn’t committed a crime.

The road was in use for 14 weeks before the council asked for retrospective approval and the nearby highway A431 reopened early.

Building without permission can be an issue, like this $1.5 million house that a US man found built on his land without his authorization.

The toll road was later turned back into fields.

The UK tax office (HMRC) waived a shortfall in the balance of VAT from toll-fee revenue and the entrepreneur just about broke even.

His wife, Wendy, even collected some stones from the road and stuck eyes on them, to make pet rocks that were sold for $1.30 (£1) or $2.59 (£2) if sprayed gold.

For more on weird UK roads, check out this UK family who live in the center of a busy highway.