Tony Blair was just halfway through his time as prime minister and FA Cup finals were being played in Cardiff when one of the UK's most expensive and complex road upgrade projects this century began.
But after 23 years, roadworks on the A465 Heads of the Valleys road in south Wales are finally going.
The 28-mile (45km) £2bn upgrade to almost motorway standard was designed to bring prosperity to one of the UK's most deprived areas.
But some of those living there have called it the "road from hell".
'Not even Chris Rea would come here'
Work to make the road that links Swansea to Monmouthshire a full dual carriageway began back in 2002.
This was 12 years after Margaret Thatcher's Conservative UK government drew up an upgrade programme in 1990.
Parts were already two lanes each way, but there was severe congestion and frequent serious road crashes on other parts of the route.
Almost 35 years later after enormous overspends, major delays, devolution, a global pandemic, unsuitable ground for road building and hundreds of carriageway closures, the end is finally in sight.