THE second phase of an extensive refurbishment of a viaduct in Wadebridge is set to commence.

Cornwall Council has confirmed that the works on phase two of the refurbishment of Camel Viaduct in Wadebridge will begin on September 7.

The lengthy works to the viaduct have been suspended over the summer in order to prevent exacerbating issues on the road which is frequently used by visitors to the Duchy.

Phase two will comprise of improvements to the cable ducting within the footway of the south side of the bridge, which will then be followed by waterproofing of the remaining section of the south side carriage way.

Cornwall Council say that this work is necessary to help prevent water ingress that can damage the bridges deck and supporting structures with it ensuring the long term structural integrity and safety of the Camel Viaduct.

At a later date, works by utility companies to move the transatlantic fibre optic communication cables will be moved from within the north footway to the south side in order to enable future bridge maintenance and access to the cables being carried out safely and without risk to the transatlantic cables which are classified as critical infrastructure.

The waterproofing and ducting improvements expected to be complete by the end of February 2027. After this date, the relocations of the cables will then follow in the new year with those works set to take four weeks.

A third phase of waterproofing of the north side of the carriageway will begin in September 2027.

During the roadworks, there will be two-way traffic lights across the viaduct with temporary bull barriers erected to protect the workforce.

A 40 miles per hour speed limit will also return, and the traffic lights will use auto-green technology to optimise traffic flow with manual control in peak travel times .