Cullintraw Bridge, Ballydrain Road, Cullintraw, Comber, Co. Down

The Cullintraw Bridge carries the Ballydrain Road over a small river or inlet approximately 1.5 miles southeast of Comber, near the marshy coastline of Strangford Lough. The bridge is primarily constructed of basalt rubble, with some sections of sandstone, and incorporates a large pipe for water flow.

A bridge is shown on Ordnance Survey maps from 1834 and 1858 at this location. The 1834 map depicts the bridge near a bend in the Ballydrain Road, while the 1858 map shows the road straightened, following the coastline. The bridge is named 'Cullintraw Bridge' only on the 1858 map, suggesting a possible rebuilding sometime after 1834. The construction date is estimated to be between 1820 and 1839.

Originally, the bridge was a free-standing structure and may have been largely built between 1834 and 1858 when the Ballydrain Road was re-routed. It is thought that it was later converted into a culvert, likely in the 1980s, with no trace of the original structure remaining on the western side. The river appears to have acted as a water race for flax and corn mills located a short distance west of the bridge, as shown on both the 1834 and 1858 maps. While initial descriptions suggest a segmental arch constructed of sandstone with roughly dressed stones, the present bridge displays no such features and appears mainly to be basalt rubble. The eastern side may have been largely reconstructed. The bridge possesses some industrial archaeological interest.