A NEW milestone has been reached on the Head of the Valleys road project between Gilwern and Brynmawr.

The Gateway Bridge - a 1,000-tonne, 94-metre arch over the A465 near Brynmawr - started to be installed in September and has recently been completed.

A spokesman for contractors Costain said: "The ‘Gateway’ name signifies the entry into the Brecon Beacons National Park going eastbound and the entrance to the Heads of the Valley going westbound.

"The Gateway Bridge will provide access for local traffic in Brynmawr over the A465. It will also provide access between the eastbound and westbound slip roads."

The project aims to convert parts of the A465 Heads of the Valleys Road between Brynmawr and Abergavenny into a dual carriageway.

A completion date of autumn 2019 has now been earmarked for the project, five years after work on the 8.1km stretch began.

Last November, economy secretary Ken Skates said the project is 23 per cent over budget and that the Welsh Government are in dispute with Costain to ensure the firm are paid only for what they are contractually entitled to.

A review on the long-awaited works, originally estimated to cost around £220 million, had been ordered by concerned ministers in October.

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