A man set up his own $422,000 toll road without permission but it was completely legal.
The savvy entrepreneur decided to build his own toll road as a way to bypass road works that were happening nearby.
Mike Watts is a British businessman who took it upon himself to set up his own toll road, becoming the first private individual to do so in over a century.
It cost him $422,000 to construct the road in order to give people an alternative route while work was being carried out in Somerset, England.
This was after a major road closed due to a landslip in February 2014 which would cost around £2 million ($2.6 million) to repair.
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In August of that year, Watts built a toll road in just 10 days after getting permission from a local farmer to use his land.
According to one YouTuber, Tom Scott, who posted a video about Watts, the toll road saved people the hassle of traveling along a 14-mile diversion.
Instead, they could pay £2 ($2.60) to take a detour of just 400 meters.
Scott said: “And the odd thing is this: despite the Kelston Toll Road not being approved by the local council, Mike is still on the right side of the law.”
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However, while Watts expected to make a large profit on his investment, the road works were completed five weeks early.
It meant that the businessman just about broke even after paying a fee of £25,000 ($32,500) for retrospective planning permission.
His toll road closed when the main road reopened in November 2014.
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Many people were touched by the video, with some taking to the YouTube comment section to share their reactions.
One user wrote: “I live in the USA, but my impression is that this man and the farmer are doing a big service to the people. If I had use for that road I would be very happy to pay that toll.”
Another said: “Good for them. Not causing anyone any harm - providing a public service, and charging a fair price - that's good business. Fingers crossed they made their money back and made a profit.”
A third person commented: “The only time government is mad is when they aren't getting their cut!”
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And a fourth user added: “This has got heartwarming British underdog comedy-drama written all over it.”
Watts has since said: “We have lost out – a rough estimate is probably about £10,000 to £15,000 adrift. But I'm not complaining.”