Bridge, Ballynichol Road, Ballynichol, Comber, Co. Down, BT23 5NW

This is a road bridge located on Ballynichol Road, approximately 1.5 miles south of Comber, County Down. It was likely constructed between 1856 and 1857 to carry the Ballynichol Road over what was then a new Belfast and County Down Railway line, connecting Comber and Downpatrick (formally opened in 1859). The bridge is built of basalt rubble with sandstone dressings, set at a slight skew. It features a single elliptical arch faced with sandstone voussoirs, with a brick intrados springing from a sandstone course. The south face has curved abutments, and sandstone courses sit above the arch on both sides. Sandstone coping defines the parapets. The bridge is partially obscured by vegetation, and the road surface is tarmac. The railway line ceased operation in 1950, and the cutting is now disused. The bridge is of industrial archaeological interest and possesses local historical significance. It is shown on an Ordnance Survey map of 1858-60 and is referenced in historical railway documentation.