Roadworks finally come to an end after 23 years

IT is Wales' most expensive roadbuilding project ever. And now, 23 years since the work began, traffic can finally run smoothly again in an area which has caused misery for motorists.

- ROBERT DALLING

On Friday night the last traffic cone and contraflow were removed from the A465 Heads of the Valleys road.

The long-awaited moment marked the completion of a 28-mile upgrade, which began in 2002 and cost £2bn. The project had been described by Welsh Government Minister Jane Hutt as "one of the most significant infrastructure investments in the whole of the UK".

Work to convert the A465 into a dual carriageway began in 2002 and has been carried out step by step ever since.

The road links the M4 at Neath with the A40 dual carriageway at Abergavenny and ultimately the Midlands in England. The final stage of the project was the section between Hirwaun and Dowlais.