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

  • Caltrans takes the long view of transport
    October 21, 2016
    Caltrans’ Malcolm Dougherty took time out of his schedule at ITS America 2016 in San Jose to talk to ITS International about current and future challenges. As director of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) since mid-2012, many would say that Malcolm Dougherty has one of the best jobs in transportation. Caltrans is one of the most progressive and innovative transport authorities, implementing policies to encourage cycling, piloting new
    Read More
  • P3s offer new options for public transit agencies
    March 28, 2018
    David Crawford welcomes new US guidance on public-private partnerships in the public transit sector. Public-private partnerships (P3s) are becoming increasingly favoured as a means of cost-effectively delivering much-needed public transit projects across the US. Previously, researched examples have tended to be on the large-scale while information on the potential for smaller, more localised schemes has been comparatively sparse. In a bid to fill that gap, the ‘Public Transportation Guidebook for Small
    Read More
  • British Columbia's highway corridors show it’s good to share
    June 6, 2025
    The Canadian province is advocating harmony along its major roads, setting aside major funding for projects to allow vehicles and other modes to operate safely side by side, reports David Arminas
    Read More
  • Auto safety initiative seeks to reduce driver errors
    December 2, 2013
    A push by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to use technology to reduce traffic fatalities aims to keep drunk drivers off the roads by using in-vehicle technology that immobilises their cars. They are pushing for systems that prevent drivers from starting their cars, help cars avoid collisions and prevent vehicles from starting if the occupants don’t wear seat belts. "Ninety per cent of all crashes have an element of human error," NHTSA administrator David Strickland said. "We really
    Read More

Highlighted Content