Randalstown Bridge, Bridge Street, Randalstown, Antrim, Co Antrim

A nine-arched masonry bridge carrying the main Antrim to Randalstown road over the River Main on the eastern approach to Randalstown. The two end arches at the east accommodate a mill race, while the third from that end is dry in normal circumstances, coinciding with a spit of land dividing the mill race from the main river. Built of random rubble basalt with rough stone voussoirs to segmental arches; of slight hump-backed form, the central arch being slightly higher than the others. Piers on both faces have angled cutwaters to arch springing level. Spandrels and arches inset slightly from the line of abutments and parapets on both faces. Parapets have copings of roughly squared flat blocks; part of parapet on south side damaged, with some copings missing. On the north face, the end arch at the west end has been strengthened in reinforced concrete, while the end arch at the east end has been almost entirely blocked to the apex of the arch in the course of building a reinforced concrete culvert; on the south face near the east end a later buttress of rubble masonry has been formed from a cutwater, and a modern pipe carried through it and the other cutwaters on that face across the length of the bridge; a second pipe is carried parallel with the first on that same side, supported on concrete uprights. Carriageway laid with tarmac, with a footpath running along the south side. SETTING: The bridge stands within the built-up area of the town with a very much taller mid-19th century railway viaduct running alongside it at an angle on the south side. The approach road at the east end runs under this viaduct.