Ballyvoy Bridge, Ballyvoy/, Ballynagard Tls, Ballycastle, Co.Antrim

Ballyvoy Bridge is a mid-19th century single-arched masonry road bridge spanning the Carey River, carrying the A2 main road between Cushendall and Ballycastle southeast of Ballyvoy village in County Antrim.

The bridge was erected between 1840 and 1859 as part of the Antrim Coast Road scheme, one of the largest civil engineering projects in Ireland of its day. Built by the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland between 1832 and 1842, this road and its associated bridges dramatically improved social and economic networking throughout the region. An unnamed bridge is shown at this location on the 1832 Ordnance Survey map on one of two mountain roads then connecting Cushendall and Ballycastle. The present structure, probably a replacement built as part of the new road scheme, is explicitly named on the 1857 map and subsequent editions. It may have been designed by Charles Lanyon, who was County Antrim Surveyor at the time, though a Board of Works architect is equally possible.

The bridge demonstrates the high quality of construction and proportions typical of structures built for this scheme. It is constructed of sandstone throughout. The abutments comprise rusticated and margined sandstone blocks laid to regular courses, with similarly detailed quoins. The arch is of segmental profile with vee-jointed, rusticated and margined voussoirs, and its soffit is formed of plain sandstone blocks. The spandrels and parapets are of finely dressed sandstone blocks laid to regular courses. Dressed sandstone string courses run across both faces above the arch crown and continue around the parapets' outprojecting terminal piers. The parapets are comparatively low and are coped with oversailing sandstone blocks, whilst their piers have shallow pyramidal caps. Vertically-laid sandstone blocks are set into both parapets at regular intervals.

The river bed has been concreted to minimise scouring. A small weir across the river immediately downstream slows the current as it passes under the bridge. On the right bank at the downstream side (northwest corner), concrete steps provide access to the river for fishermen.

The bridge has group value with other structures on the Antrim Coast Road: Corratavey Bridge, Altheela Bridge, Bushburn Bridge, and Altadreen Bridge. The fabric of the bridge remains largely unaltered. The bridge is situated in open fields with small patches of woodland, reflecting its rural setting on this important regional transport route.