Heads of the Valleys A465 Gilwern to Brynmawr to be dualled

There will be a dual carriageway from Abergavenny to Merthyr Tydfil once the new section is completed

A fourth section of the A465 Heads of the Valleys road in south east Wales is to be turned into a dual carriageway.

Work on the 5 mile (8km) stretch between Gilwern, Abergavenny, and Brynmawr is expected to start at the end of the year.

It will involve widening the existing road which passes through Clydach Gorge alongside the River Clydach.

Transport minister Edwina Hart said it would improve safety and journey times.

The new section will link up the Abergavenny to Gilwern stretch, completed in 2008, and the Brynmawr to Tredegar section due to be finished next year.

It will also include new foot and cycle paths and a split-level carriageway.

The project is part of a wider Welsh government scheme to turn the whole of the A465 from Abergavenny to Neath into dual carriageway by 2020.

It is one of the busiest roads in Wales and the Gilwern to Brynmawr stretch has recorded more serious and fatal accidents than any other section.