The current bridge over the River Dee at Kirkcudbright was built in 1926 by the engineers Mouchel, replacing an earlier bridge built in 1868. It provides a direct route west out of the town, rather than having to head north via Tongland Bridge first. The older bridge had a similar appearance, albeit with 6 spans instead of 5. It was a series of wrought iron bow trusses, punctuated by ornate lamp columns which have been retained on the present bridge.
The current bridge is a massive 5 span reinforced concrete structure, where each span is supported by tied arch trusses overhead. Unlike many other similar structures, the arches are not tied across the carriageway, mainly because they are too shallow to then allow traffic through! Below the spans the piers are paired and while only two stand in the river at low tide, at high tide all are partially submerged. The bridge is signed as a Weak Bridge with a 17T weight limit, and for some unknown reason, has Wig-Wag signs at either end.
