Happendon Bridge

Crossing the motorway bridge at Happendon

Happendon Bridge carries the dual carriageway B7078 across the Douglas Water, near Cairn Lodge services on the M74. It is a substantial concrete arch structure built on a skew with a single span across the river. the road crosses the bridge at a notable incline, climbing from the south bank to the north, and as a result the parapets have an unusual stepped profile. In total there are five steps, each riser varying in height, albeit generally taller towards the north bank. The parapets themselves are built of ashlar stone blocks, with the top course having different profiles. The two end 'steps' on either side have slightly domed stones, while the intervening steps have notable ridged top layers simulating more traditional coping stones.

The road across the bridge remains a dual carriageway, despite being bypassed by the motorway in the 1990s. It therefore carries four traffic lanes, with a grassy central reservation and narrow pavements to either side.

The Motorway Bridge

A short distance upstream to the south, the motorway crosses the Douglas Water on a single span concrete slab bridge. The motorway here is only D2M and so not a lot wider than the older A74 that it replaced. It is also built on a skew across the river and, as seen from the B7078, appears to have a narrower span, with the abutments set at the edges of the channel.