The Welsh government has announced that it has completed the the £2bn Heads of the Valleys Road upgrade programme.
The 45km long improvement programme was developed to improve traffic flow through the A465 which crosses the south Wales coalfields.
Almost 70 structures – including more than 40 new bridges and a dozen new junctions – have been built as part of the upgrade.
The upgrade had been split into six sections – done from the most to least dangerous for drivers.
The £1.4bn Section 5&6 – Dowlais to Hirwaun final phase links the Valleys, South and West Wales to the English Midlands and beyond together with ports serving Irish and other European destinations.
This has been achieved by delivering:
- 17.7km of new dual carriageway
- 6km of new sideroads
- more than 14km of active travel routes
- 38 culverts (a structure that channels water past an obstacle), 32 new bridges and 28 new retaining walls.
In addition to investing £400m into the local supply chain, the final phase of the upgrade programme has reportedly created 2,200 new jobs across the country.
Welsh government cabinet secretary for transport and North Wales, Ken Skates, said: “Delivering better transport and fixing our roads is a priority for this government, which is why I am delighted to be marking the completion of what has been a hugely ambitious road upgrade programme.
“It’s been a complex project, which has not been without its challenges, but is a fantastic example of how targeted investment in road infrastructure can deliver benefits on so many levels, from providing local jobs to improving accessibility, supporting education and skills, as well as delivering environmental benefits.
“Of course, a project of this magnitude is inevitably going to have an impact on local residents, and I would like to thank those that were affected for their patience. I am confident that once people realise the benefits of this investment, memories of any disruption they have experienced will start to fade.”
Achievements in road maintenance will be recognised and celebrated at the fourth annual CiTTi Awards on 25 November 2025 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector!
