The A431 Kelston Road between Bath and
Bristol was shut in February following a landslip and won;t be repaired
until the end of the year
Local resident Mike Watts put up £150,000 of
his own money to build bypass
The route which opened yesterday is first
privately run toll road to be built since cars became a familiar sight more
than 100 years ago
The toll road is just 340 yards in length but
avoids a 10-mile detour
Local council about road unhappy citing health
and safety concerns
A savvy grandfather who was sick of
roadworks near his home has defied his council and built his own bypass toll
road - the first for more than 100 years.
Businessman Mike Watts decided to open
the thoroughfare - made of a mix of asphalt and chippings - to bypass a closed
section of the A431 between Bath and Bristol.
The Kelston Road was shut in February
following a landslip and officials say that it will not be repaired until the
end of the year.
But a new makeshift road, which costs
£2 a time to use, re-opens the important 'back road' - which is used by
commuters going between the two cities.
Local villagers in nearby Kelston have
repeatedly criticised Bath & North East Somerset Council for not re-opening
the main road sooner and say it has caused major traffic problems in the area.
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