Jacobs Engineering Group has supplied a real-time, virtual reality (VR) visualisation environment to the Welsh Government in a bid to assist in upgrading programme for two sections of the A465 Heads of Valley highway project in South Wales.

The delivery of VR visualisation solution is part of the technical advisory services, which Jacobs is currently providing to the A465 project.

The project comprises widening of the existing road and six new junctions to support the social and economic growth of the area.

The VR environment allows the community and other stakeholders to visualise and better understand the impacts of the scheme on people, property and the environment.

Developed as part of Jacobs Connected Enterprise, the VR solution features about 18km of road, 114 square miles of accurate terrain and 5,000 modelled building structures.

These features can be further improved using animated vehicle traffic, environmental sounds and animated foliage growth over the next 15 years.

“This forward-thinking approach allows stakeholders to make better informed decisions and reach maximum efficiency in the project development.”

Users can view and navigate the landscape in four different modes such as a helicopter fly-over, a simulated car journey, viewing points of interest or roaming freely.

Jacobs Buildings and Infrastructure Europe senior vice-president and general manager Donald Morrison said: “The use of 3D modelling tools and visualisation techniques as part of the design enables the client to obtain a much better understanding of the project and detect any potential risks.

“This forward-thinking approach allows stakeholders to make better informed decisions and reach maximum efficiency in the project development.”

Jacobs noted that it will keep extending its support to Welsh Government as the project moves through statutory processes, tendering and the appointment of preferred contractor before onset of construction activities at the end of 2019.

The new highway is scheduled to be become operational in late 2022.