An Act of Parliament from 1865, authorised the construction of the Saltburn Extension Railway, which would connect the lines through Skinningrove to Loftus, and allow for the ironstone industry in the region to export its product by rail.

[6] The thirteenth span, the most northerly, was built on a skew and was 52 feet (16 m) across to accommodate a line from Carlin How Junction, which formed a reverse headshunt underneath that arch of the viaduct.

The line closed to freight traffic, and a culvert across Kilton Beck was constructed to allow the free flow of water.

[16] Some 720,000 tonnes (790,000 tons) of ironstone waste from the Cargo Fleet Iron Company mine at Liverton, was poured through the lattice girders to create an embankment.

[17] However, the operation was halted for two weeks when one of the piers showed signs of stress (probably due to inaccurate pouring of the shale), but eventually, the embankment was opened to all traffic in 1913.

[18] Whilst the viaduct was closed completely for two weeks, passengers were conveyed between Skinningrove and Loftus railway stations by a motor char-à-banc.

[19] Freight traffic had to travel south to Whitby West Cliff, and run up the Esk Valley Line to Middlesbrough.