Bid race starts for £500m Heads of the Valleys dualling

The Welsh Government has formally invited bids to build and finance the £500m last section of the A465 Heads of the Valleys dualling.

It is proposing to upgrade 18km of the A465 trunk road between Hirwaun and Dowlais Top under a design, construct, operate and maintain non-profit distribution contract model.

Under this Mutual Investment Model being used in Wales, private partners build and maintain public assets. In return, the Welsh Government will pay a fee to the private partner, which will cover the cost of construction, maintenance and financing the project.

At the end of the contract the asset is transferred into public ownership.

If the A465 dualling is given the final go-ahead by the Welsh Government, it would take three years to construct, commencing in late 2019 with completion in 2022.

This is the final section of a 40 km improvement to the A465, spanning from Hirwaun in the west to Abergavenny in the East.

The Welsh Government has appointed engineering consultant Jacobs to develop the design, produce an environmental impact assessment and take the scheme through the statutory process and seek the powers to build the road.

Dowlais and Hirwaun project

 

The A465 will be upgraded from 3-lane single carriageway to dual 2-lane carriageway.

This includes 2.2 km off-line new road construction from Hirwaun to Trewaun and six full movement grade-separated junctions located at Hirwaun, Croesbychan, Baverstock, A470, Prince Charles Hospital, and Dowlais.

The successful consortium will deliver over 100 structures, including four large viaducts, 35 widened or constructed bridges and 40 retaining walls and 41 culverts.

The operation and maintenance network will comprise the new A465 trunk road between Dowlais and Hirwaun although the inclusion of the operation and maintenance of the A465 trunk road between Abergavenny and Dowlais is also being considered.

To register an interest visit the Sell2Wales website.

from Construction Enquirer http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/07/30/bid-race-starts-for-500m-heads-of-the-valleys-dualling/

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