40mph limit and two-way lights for Wadebridge’s Camel Viaduct

Drivers crossing into Wadebridge over the Camel Viaduct are about to get used to a slower, more restricted route. From next month the bridge goes back under the cones for the second phase of a multi-year waterproofing project, with two-way traffic lights and a temporary speed limit in place for the best part of six months.

📷Credit: Cornwall Council

What’s happening on the viaduct

Wadebridge Town Council has confirmed that Phase Two of the essential maintenance works on the Camel Viaduct will begin on 7 September 2026, with completion expected by the end of February 2027.

The works are being delivered by Cormac, part of Corserv, a Cornwall Council company, and are scheduled to avoid the busiest periods on the highway. This phase covers improvements to the cable ducting within the footway on the south side of the bridge, followed by waterproofing the remaining section of the south side carriageway. Once that is done, the transatlantic fibre-optic communication cables currently running through the north footway will be moved across to the south side by the relevant utility companies, a job expected to take around four weeks once it starts in the New Year.

The point of all this is to protect the bridge itself. The replacement waterproofing is designed to stop water getting into the structure, which can damage the bridge deck and the supporting structures beneath it, and to keep the crossing safe and sound for the long term. It also means future maintenance and access to the cables, which are classed as critical infrastructure, can happen without putting them at risk.

Traffic changes while work continues

Two-way traffic lights will be back in place for the duration of Phase Two, alongside temporary bull barriers to protect the workforce and mark out the construction section. The lights use auto-green technology to help traffic flow, and will be manually operated during peak travel times to ease congestion.

A temporary 40mph speed limit will also be in force between Tollgate roundabout and Ball roundabout for as long as the works continue. Cormac says every effort will be made to keep disruption to a minimum, but delays are possible, so it is worth allowing extra time for journeys across the viaduct until the New Year.

📷Credit: Cornwall Council

What comes after Phase Two

Phase Two is not the end of the story for the viaduct. A third and final phase is already pencilled in, covering waterproofing works on the north carriageway, and is expected to get under way in September 2027.

Questions or concerns

Anyone with questions about the refurbishment can email [email protected] or call 0300 1234 222. Issues on a Wadebridge road, highway or footway can also be reported through Cornwall Council’s website, and anything that poses a threat to public safety should go through the same 0300 1234 222 number, which runs a 24-hour service.

Regular updates on progress will be posted at Cornwall Council’s Let’s Talk site as the works get under way, though the project team notes the whole programme is still subject to ongoing liaison with utility providers, so the dates could yet move.