WORK to dual the final section of the A465 in Gwent will begin by 2014, after a £150 million contract was awarded to a British engineering company.

Assembly transport minister Carl Sargeant announced yesterday that Costain Limited has been handed the multi-million deal to dual the Gilwern to Brymnawr stretch of the Heads of the Valleys Road, with the work anticipated to be complete by 2017.

Costain will have to employ and train local people to build the road as part of their contract.

The announcement means that all parts of the A465 that pass through Gwent will be upgraded to a dual carriageway within the next six years.

The Tredegar to Dowlais section was opened to traffic in 2004, while the Abergavenny to Gilwern finished in 2008. Work on the stretch between Brynmawr to Tredegar is due to start late next year, with an a completion date of 2014.

Costain Limited has been awarded the contract to design and construct the four mile section between Gilwern and Brynmawr.

The company said yesterday that the project would present a "significant engineering and environmental challenge", as the route passes through a number of sites of special scientific interest including Clydach Gorge - considered to be one of Wales' most important and ecologically sensitive areas.

The Assembly said environmental and heritage considerations would be "at the heart" of the design process.

Trasnport minister Carl Sargeant said: "The A465 is a crucial artery of our transport network and the principal road link between West Wales and the Midlands. Dualling the Heads of the Valleys road will help improve safety, shorten travel times for commuters and businesses and contribute to the wider regeneration of the region."