The A465 is a trunk road that runs from Bromyard in Herefordshire, England to Llandarcy near Swansea in south Wales. The western half in Wales is known officially as the Neath to Abergavenny Trunk Road,[1] but the section from Abergavenny to the Vale of Neath is more commonly referred to as the Heads of the Valleys Road because it links the northern heads of the South Wales Valleys. That section was also the subject to an improvement programme which sections 1 to 4 are complete (Abergavenny to Dowlais Top), and sections 5 to 6 under construction (Dowlais Top to Hirwaun). The upgrade program is due to finish in 2025. Approximately following the southern boundary of the Brecon Beacons National Park, the Ordnance Survey Pathfinder guide describes it as the unofficial border between rural and industrial South Wales.[2] The A465 provides an alternative route between England and the counties in South West Wales and to the ferries to Ireland.[3]
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by English local authorities and South Wales Trunk Road Agency | ||||
| Length | 66 mi (106 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end | Llandarcy 51°38′57″N 3°50′55″W / 51.6492°N 3.8486°W | |||
 M4 Junction 43A48  A474 A4230 A4109 A4061 A4059 A470 A4054 A4060 A469 A4048 A4046 A4047 A467 A4077 A4143 A4042A40 A49 | ||||
| East end | Bromyard, Herefordshire 52°11′13″N 2°30′50″W / 52.1870°N 2.5139°W | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United Kingdom | |||
| Primary destinations | Neath Merthyr Tydfil Abergavenny Hereford | |||
| Road network | ||||
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Route
editThe A465 runs south-west from Bromyard towards the River Lugg, from where it runs concurrently with the A4103 for a short distance before entering Hereford. After a short distance on the A49, it crosses the River Wye, the River Monnow and the border into Wales. The A465 meets the A40 trunk road in Abergavenny and continues west through the 'Heads of the Valleys' region past Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale, Tredegar, Rhymney, Merthyr Tydfil, Hirwaun, Glynneath and Aberdulais.
Even before the construction of the Heads of the Valleys road began in the 1960s, there were concerns and complaints regarding the capacity and safety of a single carriageway, three-lane design. The Abergavenny–Neath trunk road opened in 1964.[4]
Until 1996, the A465 ran for most of its length between Glynneath and Aberdulais along a narrow single carriageway road, now redesignated as the B4242. The high collision rate on this stretch was the main factor in leading to the construction of the dual carriageway between these points. The section of the A465 from Hirwaun to Llandarcy is all dual carriageway.[5][6]
The highest point (signposted) of 1,350 feet (410 m) is on the Ebbw Vale section which is now dual carriageway and slip roads between Dowlais Top and Tredegar via Rhymney. At Dowlais Top there are link roads such as the A4060, which runs down to the south end of Merthyr Tydfil and links with the A470, and the A4054 which goes through Merthyr Vale and Aberfan. Another link is the A4102 which leads into Dowlais and Merthyr Tydfil town centre. The A465 passes Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil and then continues to Cefn-coed-y-cymmer and the A470 link. It then continues down the floor of the Vale of Neath, bypassing Resolven, Neath and Skewen, before terminating at junction 43 of the M4 at Llandarcy.
Major upgrade
editIn 1990, a regional traffic study identified the need for improvements to the A465. In 1994, alternatives were presented for public consultation for the improvement of the 25-mile length between Abergavenny and Hirwaun, connecting the existing A465 dual carriageway link from Swansea to the A40, which is an important part of the route to the M50. In July 1995 the then Secretary of State for Wales announced the preferred route. This mainly consisted of widening the existing road to provide a dual carriageway standard with grade-separated junctions (and extra climbing lanes on certain hills) between Abergavenny and Hirwaun. The design was developed and a draft line order was published in 1997. This was tested at public local inquiry in 1998 after which the Secretary of State for Wales announced the decision to proceed with the scheme in 1999.
Much of the land on the route is undulating, but despite this, the preferred route alignment is considered to be of high standard and as such allows most of the route to have the national speed limit.[7]
Initially, the upgrade was split into seven sections. Later, sections 6 and 7 were combined into a single scheme for the purposes of construction. Construction of sections 5 and 6 have also been treated as a single scheme.
| Section | From / To | Commencement date | Completion date | Status | Final Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abergavenny to Gilwern | February 2005 | May 2008 | Complete | £57m[8] |
| 2 | Gilwern to Brynmawr | December 2014[9] | December 2021[10] | Complete | £336.2m[8] |
| 3 | Brynmawr to Tredegar | January 2013 | September 2015 | Complete | £163.3m[8] |
| 4 | Tredegar to Dowlais Top | March 2002 | November 2004 | Complete | £57.8m[8] |
| 5 & 6 | Dowlais Top to Hirwaun | May 2021[11] | Due by mid-2025 [11] | Under construction | £590m[12] (estimated) |
Sections 1 to 4
editThe A465 between Llandarcy and Hirwaun was initially constructed to dual carriageway standard, and as such will not see a major upgrade. Construction work began on section 4 (Tredegar to Dowlais Top) in early spring 2002, and was completed by November 2004.
Construction of Section 1 (Abergavenny to Gilwern) began in February 2005. This was primarily an on-line upgrade of the existing single-carriageway road, and was completed on 22 May 2008.
The contract for Section 3 (Brynmawr to Tredegar) was awarded to Carillion in March 2010. In August 2012, it was announced that approval for the scheme to commence had been given and that construction would commence by the end of 2012.[13]
Planning for Section 2 (Gilwern to Brynmawr) started in June 2011, with construction beginning in January 2015.[14] The project was due to be finished in 2018. However, this section saw several delays and cost overruns, and was completed in December 2021.[15]
Sections 5 and 6
editOn 10 November 2020, the Welsh Government announced that the contract for Section 5 & 6 (Dowlais Top to Hirwaun) had been awarded to Future Valleys Construction, a consortium which 'comprises large international construction companies alongside established financial investors'.[16] Site clearance works began shortly thereafter, and major construction work commenced in May 2021. Completion of the scheme is programmed for mid-2025.[17]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "A465 HEADS OF THE VALLEYS DUALLING SECTION 3: BRYNMAWR TO TREDEGAR" (PDF). Carillion plc. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
- ^ OS Pathfinder Guide, Brecon Beacons and Glamorgan. Ordnance Survey 1994.
- ^ Welsh Government – A465 (Heads of the Valleys Road) – Dualling Scheme Archived 16 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Heads of the Valleys Road". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 17 February 1960.
- ^ "A465". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 8 June 1992.
- ^ "Cymdeithas Hanes Resolfen History Society: Where is Resolfen?".
- ^ "New higher speed limits for lorries in England and Wales". THE HIGHWAY CODE.
- ^ a b c d "Request for Information - ATISN 18667" (PDF). Welsh Government. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ "Green light for next stage of widening project | A465 Section 2". Archived from the original on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- ^ "Written Statement: A465 Dualling Section 2 (Gilwern to Brynmawr) Project Update". Welsh Government. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- ^ a b "A465 section 5 and 6 Dowlais Top to Hirwaun". Welsh Government. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- ^ "A465 section 5 and 6 Dowlais Top to Hirwaun". Welsh Government. 7 December 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
- ^ "A465 Road Dualling Scheme Brynmawr to Tredegar". Archived from the original on 16 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ "A465 Section 2 Project Website". Archived from the original on 9 January 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
- ^ "Heads of the Valleys road section opens three years late". BBC. 30 December 2021.
- ^ "A465: Contract awarded for A465 improvements". 10 November 2021 – via gov.wales.
- ^ "A465: Section 5 & 6 Dowlais Top to Hirwaun Overview". 8 July 2021 – via gov.wales.