A465 Heads of the Valleys Road - Footbridges

The A465 'Heads of the Valleys Road' improvement project is a major highway corridor scheme developed in sections by the Welsh Government. It provides connection between the communities of the South Wales valleys between Abergavenny and Merthyr Tydfil. The upgrade of this key east-west connection was considered vital to improve safety and support social and economic regeneration.

The route navigates a beautiful yet challenging landscape, featuring new junctions, highway bridges, and retaining walls. It includes several new pedestrian and cycle bridges, connecting to public transport and creating new recreational paths.

Knight Architects worked with Atkins Jacobs JV and Costain on the 9km-long Section 2 between Gilwern and Brynmawr, a green and steep route including the distinctive Clydach Gorge. This passes through the heavily designated environment of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Knight Architects' role included concept, scheme and detailed designs, community engagement and securing stakeholder support for the numerous bridges and major retaining walls.

The team designed a series of footbridges to enhance local access to public transport and connect recreational routes nearby. The weathering-steel structures form a cohesive ‘family’ of bridges, providing visual continuity along the corridor. These include sweeping torsion-beam bridges over the valley and simpler through-beam bridges serving local schools and communities.