A465: section 5 and 6 Dowlais Top to Hirwaun

Why we are doing it

The objectives are to:

• improve traffic flow and make it safer to overtake
• make the road safer, especially around junctions and areas with poor visibility
• improve access to key services, jobs and markets supporting inward investment to areas like the Ebbw Vale Enterprise Zone.

Current progress

The main work started in May 2021. 

The work has included:

• earthworks at key locations
• moving utilities, including water, gas, electricity, telecoms, drainage
• installing water management measures
• building culverts
• environmental works, including:
  • creating new habitats for great crested newts, dormice, lapwing and bats
  • planting 1,200 trees to create new woodland near Crematorium Road
  • planting devil’s bit scabious to encourage the conservation of marsh fritillary butterflies
  • installing over 80 bat boxes
• installing temporary roundabouts at Dowlais to provide space for building 2 overbridges
• building two bridges at Dowlais for the new junction
• installing footbridge at Dowlais Ponds
• building first bridge at Jones Street in Pant
• building second new bridge at Jones Street in Pant
• building the slip road retaining wall at Prince Charles junction
• demolishing bridge at Pant Road
• starting work to strengthen and widen Taf Fechan viaduct
• installing a temporary footbridge at Cefn Coed
• piling on the south and north side of the A465 at Cefn Coed to widen the cutting for the new dual carriageway
• completing piling at High Street bridge at Cefn Coed
• building piers to support the new bridge at Taf Fawr
• constructing road decks on the new bridge at Taf Fawr
• building a bridge over the A470
• A470 north of the roundabout junction with the A465 moved into a new cutting
• improvements at junction with A470 and Upper High Street
• Nant Ffrwd eastbound slip road bridge and retaining walls
• installing beams for Nant Ffrwd main A465 dual carriageway bridges
• building south section of Court Farm underpass
• building bridges at Nant Melyn, Nant Moel and Vale of Neath
• demolishing bridge at Vale of Neath
• building two new roundabouts at Croesbychan
• building the new viaduct at Nant Hir
• installing a footbridge at Hirwaun
• completing piling at Trewaun
• building retaining walls at Trewaun
• building a new bridge that will give access to Windfarm Road at Hirwaun
• building Trewaun East bridge
• building Trewaun West bridge and opening to traffic
• opening new roundabouts at Merthyr Road and Crematorium Road
• opening two new roundabouts at Rhigos junction

Continuing works

• building Nant Moel underpass
• temporary A465 introduced between Hirwaun (Trewaun) and tramway ahead of excavation works for the new carriageway
• installing new drainage beneath Hirwaun Road
• realigning traffic at Rhigos to allow for construction of new junction
• realigning A465 traffic at locations along the 11-mile route
• Rhigos junction
• Dowlais junction
• Hirwaun / Trewaun junctions
• installing utilities at High Street bridge at Cefn Coed
• completing the road deck construction on the Taf Fawr bridge
• widening and strengthening of Taf Fechan viaduct in Cefn Coed

We are working on:

• Rhigos junction (Rhigos road/A465 roundabout)
• Hirwaun junction (Hirwaun road/Brecon road/A465 roundabout)
• Afon Cynon to Vale of Neath
• Croesbychan junction
• Baverstock junction to Swansea road
• A465/A470 junction
• Cefn Coed
• Prince Charles hospital junction
• Pant industrial estate
• Dowlais Top junction

Timetable

Public exhibitions: end 2015
Publication of draft orders and environmental statement: summer 2017
Publication of draft supplementary orders and supplementary environmental statement: early 2018
Public local inquiry: spring 2018
Minister's decision: early 2019
Making of Orders: spring 2019
Publish draft Supplementary Orders (No.1): autumn 2019
Making Supplementary Orders (No.1): summer 2020
Publish draft Supplementary Orders (No.2): summer 2020
Procure contractor: autumn 2020
Start of construction: early 2021
Completion of new section of trunk road: mid 2025

Next steps

Main building works include

• building bridges at Afon Cynon Hirwaun East, Tramway (footbridge), Vale of Neath railway, Nant Hir, Nant Ffrwd, Taff Fawr and Dowlais
• building a new underpass at Court Farm
• moving of ancient woodland at Croesbychan and starting to build the new Croesbychan junction
• building new Swansea road link and the new junction at Baverstock
• building a temporary road at the A470 to provide space for building the new road
• strengthening and widening of Taff Fechan bridge
• starting to build the new Prince Charles junction
• building a new side road at Pant Industrial Estate
• building the new westbound road between Bryniau road and Pant road to enable the construction of new bridge and retaining wall at Pant road

What we are doing

This road project is known as the A465 Heads of the Valleys section 5 and 6. The project will extend between Hirwaun and Dowlais Top for 11 miles (17.7km).

It will leave the current A465 between the Hirwaun and Trewaun junctions for about a mile (1.4km) and between the Taf Fechan Viaduct and the Gurnos Farm underpass for about half a mile (0.8km).

The new road will be a 70mph dual carriageway with 6 junctions.

Slip roads on and off the A465 carriageway will connect the joining roads.

How we consulted

We consulted on improvements to the A465 between Abergavenny and Hirwaun in 1994 as part of the process to develop the preferred route for the whole project.

We held public information exhibitions in December 2015. At these events we presented the 1990s design and highlighted areas where we are considering options to improve this design.

We have run a series of presentations to local interest groups and meetings with local landowners, businesses and other key stakeholders. We have used these to gather information on and understand how the proposals fit with local priorities, objectives and policies.

We held a series of draft orders exhibitions in August 2017.

We held a public local Inquiry in April and May 2018.