A465 Heads Of The Valleys Dualling; Dowlais Top To Hirwaun

[AAndy]

Also

[M64]

Many thanks to those who've posted regular photos of this and the other A465 schemes.

It's not a part of the world I know too well, so can anyone advise if this is the lest section of the A465 to be dualled (I know it's been split into several phases) or have future A465 dualling schemes had the chop in the recent Welsh roads review?

[DB617]

Many thanks to those who've posted regular photos of this and the other A465 schemes.

It's not a part of the world I know too well, so can anyone advise if this is the lest section of the A465 to be dualled (I know it's been split into several phases) or have future A465 dualling schemes had the chop in the recent Welsh roads review?

Not sure if this is the last phase - I think it is - but they specifically excluded completing the A465 from the cancellations. The optics of the whole debacle and the impact on contractor redundancies were already poor enough without cancelling a project midway through.

[Octaviadriver]

I can't compete with AAndy's excellent videos, but I can supplement them with a photo from the Taff Trail footpath where it passes over Cefn Coed Viaduct I took last week. This shows under construction the bridge over the A470 on the left and the bridge spanning the short but deep valley to the east of the A470. I was lucky to have better weather than AAndy!

I'd planned to take some photos from the old railway bridge carrying the Taff Trail over the A465, but it was closed. I assume this was in connection with the work they're carrying out in Cefn Coed as mentioned by AAndy.

[Bryn666]

Many thanks to those who've posted regular photos of this and the other A465 schemes.

It's not a part of the world I know too well, so can anyone advise if this is the lest section of the A465 to be dualled (I know it's been split into several phases) or have future A465 dualling schemes had the chop in the recent Welsh roads review?

Not sure if this is the last phase - I think it is - but they specifically excluded completing the A465 from the cancellations. The optics of the whole debacle and the impact on contractor redundancies were already poor enough without cancelling a project midway through.

The A465 is being categorised as an essential safety improvement to what is a horrendously inadequate road - the WG will still be building these, it's new roads that exist purely to drive car dependent development they're canning.

[IAN]

Many thanks to those who've posted regular photos of this and the other A465 schemes.

It's not a part of the world I know too well, so can anyone advise if this is the lest section of the A465 to be dualled (I know it's been split into several phases) or have future A465 dualling schemes had the chop in the recent Welsh roads review?

It's the last phase of the long-term scheme to fully dual the A465 between Abergavenny and Neath.

These two roundabouts will prevent the whole route from being expressway standard but they're not busy enough to justify removing them.

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.7367431 ... 384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.7136661 ... 384!8i8192

[AAndy]

Update, video filmed this week. Westbound. https://youtu.be/NSSnk-2nldw

[IAN]

Update, video filmed this week. Westbound. https://youtu.be/NSSnk-2nldw

Thank you for uploading another interesting video. I like the way that you stop en-route to focus on particular features. Your 'Roads and Things' YouTube channel is also excellent and provides hours of interest. Although it's not a website as such I suggest it's worthy of a link as a 'SABRE Member Site'.

You certainly do a lot of travelling, I dread to think what your annual mileage must be!

[AAndy]

Update, video filmed this week. Westbound. https://youtu.be/NSSnk-2nldw

Thank you for uploading another interesting video. I like the way that you stop en-route to focus on particular features. Your 'Roads and Things' YouTube channel is also excellent and provides hours of interest. Although it's not a website as such I suggest it's worthy of a link as a 'SABRE Member Site'.

You certainly do a lot of travelling, I dread to think what your annual mileage must be!

Thanks.
I do stopping/pausing just to see an interesting feature that I missed a proper look at when driving past.... I think it might annoy people too, however, its great to see its appreciated!!
I am happy for it to be linked on sabre....(fwiw I don't get paid for anything on youtube etc)... we all find roads interesting here in one way or another.

As for my annual mileage...its a lot .

This A465 update does show an interesting aspect of bridge building at the Aberdare junction at Hirwaun, as the bridge was built at ground level a couple of years ago but now is being excavated and the Dual will run underneath; see it at 22:57 in. A lot of other advancement too since my last video....
More vids to come , eastbound later and I hope a side vid of the interesting bits....Shame about the weather though.

[AAndy]

Interesting to see a 35/40 year out of date sign too, showing the A 470 ahead at the tee junction when it was bypassed , I think in the 80's I think, and that road was re-classified.

[AAndy]

video still:

[rhyds]

Interesting to see a 35/40 year out of date sign too, showing the A 470 ahead at the tee junction when it was bypassed , I think in the 80's I think, and that road was re-classified.

Merthyr is chock-full of old A470 signage for some reason. The A4060 still has an A470 RCS just after you leave the roundabout off the current A470!

[Chris5156]

video still:

I'm so glad these have been designed to reflect the shape and design of the existing bridge from the 60s - I've said before how elegant the original is and it would have been a real shame to plonk three very ordinary bridges alongside it. The new ones are a bit chunkier than the original and will lack some of its gracefulness, but they are similar in profile and shape. It's nice to see this sort of attention to detail.

[Bessie]

Many thanks to those who've posted regular photos of this and the other A465 schemes.

It's not a part of the world I know too well, so can anyone advise if this is the lest section of the A465 to be dualled (I know it's been split into several phases) or have future A465 dualling schemes had the chop in the recent Welsh roads review?

Not sure if this is the last phase - I think it is - but they specifically excluded completing the A465 from the cancellations. The optics of the whole debacle and the impact on contractor redundancies were already poor enough without cancelling a project midway through.

The A465 is being categorised as an essential safety improvement to what is a horrendously inadequate road - the WG will still be building these, it's new roads that exist purely to drive car dependent development they're canning.

Not according to the relevant Minister:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-pol ... 675461.amp

[Bryn666]

Not sure if this is the last phase - I think it is - but they specifically excluded completing the A465 from the cancellations. The optics of the whole debacle and the impact on contractor redundancies were already poor enough without cancelling a project midway through.

The A465 is being categorised as an essential safety improvement to what is a horrendously inadequate road - the WG will still be building these, it's new roads that exist purely to drive car dependent development they're canning.

Not according to the relevant Minister:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-pol ... 675461.amp

A deputy minister who has an opinion that "he hopes" is not "this will".

[Bessie]

The A465 is being categorised as an essential safety improvement to what is a horrendously inadequate road - the WG will still be building these, it's new roads that exist purely to drive car dependent development they're canning.

Not according to the relevant Minister:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-pol ... 675461.amp

A deputy minister who has an opinion that "he hopes" is not "this will".

Although the deputy Minister for Climate Change he has responsibility for transport policy and makes the relevant decisions. Of course he cannot bind the decisions of future Ministers.

Tests that rule out any schemes that increase vehicle speeds or numbers sets a very high (or should that be low?) bar.

[AAndy]

video still:

I'm so glad these have been designed to reflect the shape and design of the existing bridge from the 60s - I've said before how elegant the original is and it would have been a real shame to plonk three very ordinary bridges alongside it. The new ones are a bit chunkier than the original and will lack some of its gracefulness, but they are similar in profile and shape. It's nice to see this sort of attention to detail.

However the next viaduct just East is just being widened;

side view video shows it 12minutes in : https://youtu.be/DVlczwiGDVc
Beginning at the Hirwaun roundabout, a brief drive on the Rhigos mountain road to see the grade seperated junction construction, then East to dowlais top and then back again west ending at the Aberdare road bridge preperation. Its 'interesting' bits only cobbled together.
noted:
Railway bridge: 0:50
Hirwaun East GSJ slip 1:30
viaduct: 2:10
viaduct #2 2:37
A470 Brecon brief drive 3:20
Cefn coed viaduct: 4:54
viaduct #4 extension: 6:10
underground? section : 6:30
Viaduct #5 (merthyr commercial vehicle auctions) 8:00
dowlais top gsj construction 8:55
Viaduct #5 again 10:27
viaduct #4 12:03
then onto cefn coed viaduct and back to the aberdare road.


also Eastbound video: https://youtu.be/yIm62JEUZSo

[Octaviadriver]

Interesting to see a 35/40 year out of date sign too, showing the A 470 ahead at the tee junction when it was bypassed , I think in the 80's I think, and that road was re-classified.

Merthyr is chock-full of old A470 signage for some reason. The A4060 still has an A470 RCS just after you leave the roundabout off the current A470!

I was walking on the Taff Trail a couple of weeks ago and noticed in Cefn Coed that this one is still standing going northbound:
https://goo.gl/maps/APGJkeAuwvFjVoim8
But swing round through 180 degrees and the southbound sign shown here has been cut down after August 2022 when this StreetView was taken and it's left with just the stubs of the mounting posts remaining:
https://goo.gl/maps/oYMzQKtV99pkmE968
Why didn't they remove both of them?

[Ritchie333]

This summer, it looks like I'll be doing a day trip from Ross on Wye to Porthcawl, and was planning on doing A40 / A465 / A4061 / A473 / A48 / A4106. (The A4061 is a particular favourite of mine). What's the state of the A465 going to be like, and am I likely to be held up anywhere?

[AAndy]

This summer, it looks like I'll be doing a day trip from Ross on Wye to Porthcawl, and was planning on doing A40 / A465 / A4061 / A473 / A48 / A4106. (The A4061 is a particular favourite of mine). What's the state of the A465 going to be like, and am I likely to be held up anywhere?

Heading west the first bit you hit, Dowlais top GSJ works regularly cause 5 minute delays (longer at peak times), then cefn coed/A470 roundabout a few minutes, the old aberdare turning can be a few minutes. So nothing really.
Its only heading East that 30 minute delays occur heading up to the first Hirwaun roundabout.
...of course... things can change as soon as a new realignment is opened.