The Welsh government has announced that it will complete a £1.4bn road project summer 2025 to connect communities by linking the Valleys, South and West Wales to the English Midlands.
The A465 (Hirwaun to Dowlais) project, when completed later this year, will have delivered 17.7km of new dual carriageway, 6.1km of sideroads, more than 14km of active travel routes, 38 new culverts (a structure that channels water past an obstacle), 30 new bridges and 28 retaining walls.
The Welsh government also announced that it had created more than 2000 new jobs through spending more than £200m in the Valleys supply chain.
Cabinet secretary for transport and North Wales Ken Skates said: “Fixing our roads is a key priority for us. We’ve spent £1bn fixing and improving our roads since 2021, including more than £250m in the past year.
“This project is an incredibly impressive piece of engineering and a fantastic example of how targeted investment in road infrastructure can deliver on many levels, providing jobs for the local community, improving accessibility, supporting education and skills, alongside delivering environmental benefits.
“It’s been a complex project which has not been without its challenges, and I would like to thank everyone who has played their part in helping us to deliver one of the largest road projects in the UK.”
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