Bridge over River Bann, Ballycoshone Rd, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down, BT34 5XE

This is a steel girder bridge built between 1900 and 1919, located on the Ballycoshone Road near Rathfriland, Newry, County Down. The bridge carries a minor road over the River Bann and is of technical interest as an example of contemporary bridge design and a replacement for an earlier structure.

The original bridge deck, dating from approximately 1919, has been replaced with a modern construction. The current bridge consists of three spans supported by finely dressed granite abutments and piers, which have curved ends. These are topped with cast concrete upon which rest four longitudinal rolled steel joists (RSJs), with one cantilevered out on each side, supporting a reinforced concrete deck slab. A vertically railed metal parapet provides safety. Concrete footings underpin the piers and abutments.

Historical maps reveal a wooden footbridge existed at this location in 1834. By 1859, this had been updated on maps; the 1919 map shows a more substantial structure, likely a road bridge. The original 1919 deck was constructed of reinforced concrete cast in situ, using curved corrugated iron as formwork for the underside. The deck was replaced in 1990 with the present one. The bridge shares similarities in construction with another footbridge near Hilltown.