Bad weather causes delay to A465 arch installation
REGENERATION work on a vital part of the Heads of the Valleys road has been delayed due to adverse weather conditions.
Scheduled weekend road closures on the A465 this month have been pushed back due to the delayed arrival of a 120 tonne specialist crane.
The crane is required to lift arch sections of the project’s feature Gateway Bridge, but is still engaged on another building scheme in Scotland.
A spokesman for contractor Costain explained the Gottwald AK680 crane is one of the largest in the UK and has limited availability.
He said high winds caused by Storm Eleanor held up its work on a project in Methil, Scotland.
This latest phase of the work on the Heads of the Valleys road is costing around £220m as part of a 20-year project that is set to be completed by 2020.
The Welsh Government described the route as “a crucial artery of our transport network and the principal road link between west Wales and the Midlands” and said the improvements would improve safety and journey times.
Last weekend a 17-mile diversion went ahead as engineers installed another smaller footbridge near Brynmawr, Blaenau Gwent.
A four-mile stretch of the A465 between Ebbw Vale and Brynmawr was closed, with an alternative route taking motorists through Aberbeeg and Abertillery.
Due to the delays, two full weekend closures scheduled for January 12 and January 19 will now be rearranged for later in January and early February. Supporting weekday night closures on January 15, 16, 22 and 23 will also be pushed back.
Construction Manager for Costain John Lee said: “Unfortunately there is limited access to the size of crane we require to lift the bridge sections at Brynmawr and understandably severe weather conditions and the high winds associated with Storm Eleanor has delayed work on a project in Scotland, which in turn has delayed the availability of the crane for our work at Brynmawr.
“This is not an unusual event and our work schedule will be reorganised to ensure the delay does not affect the overall delivery programme.”