A bridge holding up part of the A465 near a Blaenau Gwent town due to a ‘defect’ discovered within its structure, according to the body that monitors major routes across Wales.

The Heads of the Valleys Road has returned to a single lane on the westbound approach to Brynmawr due to the concerns around the structure of Clydach Gorge Viaduct - just over a decade since work to make the stretch of road a dual carriageway was completed.

The entire project to make the road a dual carriageway - which took 23 years and cost roughly £2 billion - was only completed at the start of this year. But those parts completed years ago, which were supposed to be built to last, are already starting to crumble.

As a crucial artery road in Wales, the A465 connects towns like Abergavenny in the east with West Wales by joining up with the M4 at Neath.

In correspondence seen by The Chronicle with Traffic Wales, repairs are not set to begin until August.

“The lane closure is currently in place for safety reasons following the identification of a defect to the underside Clydach Gorge Viaduct which supports the westbound carriageway of the A465 at this location,” a spokesperson said.

“To ensure the safety of all road users, the lane must remain closed until repairs can be carried out to limit the loading on the bridge element in question.Unfortunately, the works require specialist access equipment and contractors, and there can be significant lead times involved.”

“The current programme is for the repair works to be completed by mid-August 2026, at which point the lane closure can be removed, subject to the successful completion and any final safety inspections. Whilst visible activities on site are currently limited, please be assured we are working hard to address the defect and return to normal running conditions as soon as possible.”