The A465 Heads of the Valleys upgrade was the biggest road project in Wales and one of the biggest in the UK. Planning began in 1990; the project was given the go-ahead by the Welsh government in 1999 and work on the first of five phases began three years later. As of December 2018, three sections had been completed, Abergavenny to Gilwern, Brynmawr to Tredegar and Tredegar to Dowlais. The final two phases, Dowlais to A470 and the A470 junction to Hirwaun, had commenced, with completion of the whole £223m scheme scheduled for 2020. The road was fully reopened in 2025.
A465 Heads of the Valley Wales – UK
Minova supported the A465 Heads of the Valleys upgrade by supplying high‑performance soil nails and mesh, ensuring safe, stable slopes on Wales’ largest road scheme.
Sector / Application
Overview
Solution
In total, over 11,000 soil nails were installed across the 8km site, with a large quantity of R32S self‑drilling nails with 76 mm and 110 mm tungsten carbide drill bits supplied by Minova UK. Most of the drilling had been done with hydraulic drilling attachments mounted on an excavator boom, the excavator working downwards from the top of the slope as the roadside was progressively cut back. Where access for drilling was more difficult, rope access techniques and bespoke A‑frame cradles secured from above were utilised. On rocky embankments, steel mesh debris netting had been installed; anchors were driven into the rockface at intervals (typically 1 m–2 m centres) before the mesh was unrolled from the top of the slope. Our steel products continued to provide a pivotal role in ensuring safety to the site and the future success of the largest road scheme in Welsh history.
