A465 Heads Of The Valleys Rd Dualling: Gilwern To Brynmawr

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Beardy5632
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Re: A465 Heads Of The Valleys Rd Dualling: Gilwern To Brynmawr

Post by Beardy5632 »

quarella wrote:I had cause to use the A465 a few weekends ago when the Brynmawr - Gilwern section was closed. The signed diversion was A467 south to Crumlin then east on the A472 till it meets the A4042 just past Pontypool, then north to the A465/A40 intersection south of Abergavenny.
Thankfully that way is for HGVs. Whenever I've gone along there I've used the B4248 and B4246 and join the A465 by Llanfoist.
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Re: A465 Heads Of The Valleys Rd Dualling: Gilwern To Brynmawr

Post by Hdeng16 »

I partly be accident ended up on a single track with grass in the middle of the road. Only met one car though and got top (midway) to the bottom pretty easily. The top section obviously has parallel roads, the bottom section is much tougher.
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AAndy
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Re: A465 Heads Of The Valleys Rd Dualling: Gilwern To Brynmawr

Post by AAndy »

A few photos from yesterday starting off with:

The GSJ storeroom at Gilwern. They were working on installing the outside barriers later on in the evening.
ImageA465 dualling Brynmawr to gilwern July 2017 s by Dskies, on Flickr

The first time and the last time!

The 1st time I've ever seen anyone on the bridge and probably the last time I'll see it before its demolished.

ImageA465 dualling Brynmawr to gilwern July 2017 n by Dskies, on Flickr

Onto the new carriageway at Gilwern
ImageA465 dualling Brynmawr to gilwern July 2017 o by Dskies, on Flickr

ImageA465 dualling Brynmawr to gilwern July 2017 p by Dskies, on Flickr

ImageA465 dualling Brynmawr to gilwern July 2017 r by Dskies, on Flickr

This one I found interesting, nearer Brynmawr, it shows the elevation difference in the carriageways here....and... do I spy a digger making a link road between the 2 levels?
ImageA465 dualling Brynmawr to gilwern July 2017 g by Dskies, on Flickr

I'd like to have a go with a digger with that kind of reach!
ImageA465 dualling Brynmawr to gilwern July 2017 m by Dskies, on Flickr

There are a few more photos on flickr too.
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Re: A465 Heads Of The Valleys Rd Dualling: Gilwern To Brynmawr

Post by jeremai »

Great update as usual, Andy, and thanks for adding them to the Flickr group as well.
AAndy wrote:The 1st time I've ever seen anyone on the bridge and probably the last time I'll see it before its demolished.
LOL! It's useful for taking photos of the road if nothing else...
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Re: A465 Heads Of The Valleys Rd Dualling: Gilwern To Brynmawr

Post by AAndy »

jeremai wrote:Great update as usual, Andy, and thanks for adding them to the Flickr group as well.
AAndy wrote:The 1st time I've ever seen anyone on the bridge and probably the last time I'll see it before its demolished.
LOL! It's useful for taking photos of the road if nothing else...
No problem... If I get time I'll add more to the group too of other sections or the road.

I am getting a sense of more activity around the works now...like they've stepped up a couple of gears. Isn't the split section interesting and the bridge that spans the new carriageways up near where the existing brynmawr roundabout looks like it will be around 50m above the ground. This is the south side :
ImageA465 dualling Brynmawr to gilwern July 2017 e by Dskies, on Flickr

and north side:
ImageA465 dualling Brynmawr to gilwern July 2017 d by Dskies, on Flickr
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Re: A465 Heads Of The Valleys Rd Dualling: Gilwern To Brynmawr

Post by jeremai »

Yes it really does feel like things have accelerated but then it is due to be completed in about a year's time. Hard to believe we're 2.5 years into the 3.5 year project.

I was suprised how high those bridge abutments were when they first started constructing them. The fly through shows it will be split level through there. If that's still the plan (you wouldn't think it given the scale of excavations) then it won't seem as high from the eastbound carriageway.
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Re: A465 Heads Of The Valleys Rd Dualling: Gilwern To Brynmawr

Post by Osthagen »

I also watched the fly-through. I actually thought that the split-level was quite an interesting feature. You don't see it used a great deal here.
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Re: A465 Heads Of The Valleys Rd Dualling: Gilwern To Brynmawr

Post by AAndy »

A few more photos going the other way, west....on a dull wet day unfortunately. they are on flickr.....

(I did insert the text here but sabre won't upload as it says they are bigger than 800 pixels - even though they were all 640 wide. )


8.
Imagea465 heads of the valleys road dualling gilwern to brynmawr july 217 h by Dskies, on Flickr
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Re: A465 Heads Of The Valleys Rd Dualling: Gilwern To Brynmawr

Post by Sou'wester »

I drove on the A465 for the first time in about 5 years today.

What an absolutely fantastic civil engineering project. The scale of the section on the hilly section is just mind boggling. I've not seen any road construction like this in the U.K. in my lifetime.

Ironic that there is nice big sign advertising the fact a lot of EU money was used to facilitate this...
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Re: A465 Heads Of The Valleys Rd Dualling: Gilwern To Brynmawr

Post by SteveA30 »

Views of the A465 on Sunday, from the south side of the valley. It was closed all day so, had to improvise my route to Blaenavon, via very narrow steep lanes. Worth it for the views though.

Serious roadbuilding here, on a par with M5 Mendips, M6 Shap or M62 Pennines.
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Looking east towards Gilwern
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Re: A465 Heads Of The Valleys Rd Dualling: Gilwern To Brynmawr

Post by jeremai »

Great vantage point, Steve. On the ground there are certain sections that are seemingly being built so much higher than the existing road, but when you see it from above it somehow all makes more sense!
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Re: A465 Heads Of The Valleys Rd Dualling: Gilwern To Brynmawr

Post by Osthagen »

The road looks great as it is, along with the New Forth Crossing, I'll have to find the time to drive it (when it's all fully done, of course) :)
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Re: A465 Heads Of The Valleys Rd Dualling: Gilwern To Brynmawr

Post by SteveA30 »

Forgot to mention, there is a brand new services at the A4143/B4246 junction, westbound side. Premier Inn, Brewers Fayre, Mc and an unfinished building that may be a Costa. No petrol station that I could see from the road.
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Re: A465 Heads Of The Valleys Rd Dualling: Gilwern To Brynmawr

Post by jeremai »

It's not an actual service station (hence no petrol station) but just the individual business you listed. The McDonald's has been open for about year I think. You're correct that the new drive thru is going to be a Costa.
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Re: A465 Heads Of The Valleys Rd Dualling: Gilwern To Brynmawr

Post by AAndy »

Its been called 'Westgate'.

And yes... Costa drive-tru...there is a banner, see photo.

Some stills from the car camera this week;

1
Image465 b mcdonalds drive thru costa premier inn abergavenny westgate by Dskies, on Flickr

2
Image465 b drive thru costa premier inn b abergavenny by Dskies, on Flickr

3
Image465 b drive thru costa premier inn abergavenny by Dskies, on Flickr

4 Costa banner
Image465 b drive thru costa sign premier inn abergavenny by Dskies, on Flickr

5
Image465 b mcdonalds drive thru costa premier inn abergavenny by Dskies, on Flickr

6
Image465 b mcdonalds drive thru costa premier inn b abergavenny by Dskies, on Flickr

7 more to develop on the western edge too
Image465 b westgate by Dskies, on Flickr
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Re: A465 Heads Of The Valleys Rd Dualling: Gilwern To Brynmawr

Post by jeremai »

There's been very visible progress this week with brick deck installation for the "Gateway Bridge" at the Brynmawr junction:
Image

It was half way across when I saw it on Wednesday. Not sure if they got the other half done.

Also, the removal of the old footbridge and opening of the new one at Gilwern:
Image

Photos are from the official Twitter account:
https://twitter.com/A465_Section2
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Re: A465 Heads Of The Valleys Rd Dualling: Gilwern To Brynmawr

Post by AAndy »

Fantastic shots Jeremai..I didn't miss it after all!

Wonderous today..... (not on the French scale though)

1
ImageA465 dualling gilwern to brynmawr october 2017 a by Dskies, on Flickr

2
ImageA465 dualling gilwern to brynmawr october 2017 b by Dskies, on Flickr

3.
ImageA465 dualling gilwern to brynmawr october 2017 c by Dskies, on Flickr
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Re: A465 Heads Of The Valleys Rd Dualling: Gilwern To Brynmawr

Post by jeremai »

Great shots again, Andy. The rest of the bridge deck should be installed over the weekend, starting tonight.

From Twitter:
Image
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Re: A465 Heads Of The Valleys Rd Dualling: Gilwern To Brynmawr

Post by roadtester »

Thanks to everyone for all of the pictures and updates.

I'm really interested in this one but I don't get over that way much so I mostly rely on this thread!

The last time I was there was about a year ago and I was really taken aback by the vast scale of the works.
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Re: A465 Heads Of The Valleys Rd Dualling: Gilwern To Brynmawr

Post by jeremai »

More bridge deck installed today. Photo by Lilli Craemer on Twitter.

Image
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