A431 temporary toll road opens

A temporary toll road linking Kelston with Bath in Somerset, UK, has opened. Local businessman Mike Watts set up Kelston toll Road Limited to build the 400 metre road, enabling traffic to negotiate the A431 Kelston Road, which has been closed since February because of a landslide. It has cost Kelston Toll Road £150,000 to build the road and Mr Watts estimates it will cost another £150,000 to run the toll road for five months. He plans to charge motorists £2 each way to use the road, which will need to attra
August 4, 2014 Read time: 3 mins

A temporary toll road linking Kelston with Bath in Somerset, UK, has opened.

Local businessman Mike Watts set up Kelston toll Road Limited to build the 400 metre road, enabling traffic to negotiate the A431 Kelston Road, which has been closed since February because of a landslide. It has cost Kelston Toll Road £150,000 to build the road and Mr Watts estimates it will cost another £150,000 to run the toll road for five months. He plans to charge motorists £2 each way to use the road, which will need to attract 1,000 cars a day if it is to break even.

Thought to be the first private road in the UK for 100 years, the road was built in just three days to avoid the hour-long diversion around the roadworks on the key route between Bristol and Bath.

Mr Watts told newspapers: “Building a toll road isn’t easy to do – this is the first private road in Britain for 100 years. I think people are very grateful that we have taken this risk.”

Bath and North East Somerset Council predict the section of the A431 will be open again by Christmas and has launched an investigation into the toll road, claiming it does not have planning permission and could be dangerous.

In a statement, the council said: “This remains an active landslide, which could move without warning. In the absence of any information from the toll road promoters the council has concerns about the impact of traffic loading on the land above the slip.

“The council is not in a position to support the temporary road option as we have not been provided with any evidence/information to support the application. A temporary toll road requires planning permission and no application has been received.

“In view of public concerns the council’s planning enforcement team are currently investigating this matter. The council has no details to confirm the toll road design meets safety standards and no evidence that insurances are in place for any member of the public who use the private toll road.”

The council added that it had considered a bypass road on the south side of the closure, where it would not increase loading above the landslip, but this was not viable.

Enforcement

Related Content

  • LGA report forecasts introduction of road tolling
    November 27, 2012
    A report by the Local Government Association (LGA), the organisation representing councils in England and Wales, predicts road tolling or pay as you drive road pricing could be introduced by 2018. With traffic predicted to nearly double over the next 25 years, the LGA believes the Government will have to consider tolls or even pay as you drive road pricing to raise the money it needs.
    Read More
  • Small toll agency adopts big city thinking
    December 5, 2014
    Andrew Bardin Williams looks at a novel option for new toll road authorities. While somewhat politically controversial, outsourcing has gained traction in the business world as a model worth investigating for its efficiency and cost saving benefits. Lean start-ups tend to employ independent contractors instead of full-time employees in an effort to remain flexible and avoid costs associated with pensions, retirement places, health insurance, office space and benefit packages.
    Read More
  • Road signs removed to reduce ‘clutter’
    January 4, 2013
    In a response to a move to remove unnecessary clutter in cities and rural areas, more than 9,000 road traffic signs have been taken down in England, where local councils have been urged to think more creatively about the number and location of their location. Ministers have warned that excessive signs can be a distraction to motorists and make roads appear unattractive. In October 2011, the requirement for certain road signs was lifted; the government plans to give councils more discretion over where they p
    Read More
  • Need for balance on UK speed enforcement funding cuts
    February 2, 2012
    Trevor Ellis, Chairman of the ITS UK Enforcement Interest Group, considers the implications of the UK Government's decision to withdraw funding for road safety camera partnerships
    Read More

Highlighted Content