Heads of the Valleys road closure creates diversion

Part of the Heads of the Valleys road in south Wales is shut in both directions this weekend in the latest phase of the £800m A465 upgrade.

The five-mile (8km) stretch between Brynmawr in Blaenau Gwent and Gilwern in Monmouthshire closed at 20:30 GMT on Friday and reopens on Monday at 06:00.

Drivers face a 27-mile diversion through Pontypool and via Crumlin on the A467, A472 and A4042 roads.

The M4 motorway at Newport is also shut westbound overnight on Saturday.

The Brynglas Tunnel closure, between junctions 26 and 27, will start at 19:00 on Saturday and close at 10:00 on Sunday.

Work to turn the Heads of the Valleys road into a dual carriageway is due to be completed in late 2019.

This latest phase will cost about £220m and is part of a 20-year project to completely dual the route between Swansea and the Midlands.

Ministers described the route as "a crucial artery of our transport network and the principal road link between west Wales and the Midlands".

The upgrade work involves widening the existing road which passes through Clydach Gorge, which is considered one of south Wales' most important environmental and ecologically sensitive areas.

Safety and journey times will be improved as a result, the government added.