WORK will start later this month to repair a section of the A4046 near Abertillery, which was damaged during Storm Dennis in February.

Repairs to a section of Aberbeeg Road between Abertillery and Aberbeeg are expected to cost Blaenau Gwent council £405,000, but an application has been submitted to the Welsh Government to cover the costs through the flood funding scheme.

Currently there are temporary traffic lights in place and a lane closure. The road also has a weight limit of 7.5 tons.

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A report on the repairs says: “The A4046 is a strategic highway for vehicles and provide a southerly access to and from Ebbw Vale to Newport and the M4 – the restriction has resulted in a lengthy detour for vehicles over 7.5T via the A467 to Brynmawr.”

Further detours and disruption could be created around Brynmawr when the Heads of the Valley Road contractor begins a temporary traffic diversion at Brynmawr in August.

The report says: “The current proposed traffic switch requires significant diversionary routes – including the A4046.

“The potential unavailability of the A4046 as a diversionary route for the proposed Heads of the Valleys works will result in additional traffic movements being displaced onto local roads and the potential for increased traffic disruption at Brynmawr.”

Work on repairing the road is expected to initially overlap with the Heads of the Valley scheme.

The work is expected to start on July 20 and last 12 weeks.