Before construction, the initial sixteen-arch structure was reduced to ten[4] over engineering issues concerning the river piers.

[2][3][5] The viaduct, along with the Cefn Viaduct to the north, were built for the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway to address the demand for increasing rail freight transport demand between Wrexham, Chester and Shrewsbury which were not being met by the existing canal system.

The viaduct contains rock-faced ashlar stone with yellow engineering brick to soffits of its central section.

[2][3] The central arches contain rock-faced pointed voussoirs, projecting keystones and moulded imposts struck through to soffit; modillioned cornice and plain parapet.

The abutments have shallow pediments supported on corbelled cornices and round-headed niches with mounded impost bands and projecting moulded keystones.