[3][note 1] The first (1845) bridge, was built within five weeks without the aid of a cofferdam for the central pier; the water level of the river was lowered by reducing the amount held back by the Naburn Lock further downstream on the Ouse.

[7][note 2] Besides carrying the railway tracks for the York to Scarborough line, the bridge also has a smaller pedestrian section on the eastern side (facing into the city).

[12] The design of the gaps in the archways is barrel-vaulted, and each of the stone piers is 7 feet 9 inches (2.36 m) wide, both having a staircase inside in which pedestrians could access the path up onto the deck of the bridge.

[1][6] The stone piers on either side are made of sandstone, and are fixed into the ground with timber piles as there was no bedrock near the surface to drill into.

[16] The bridge was replaced in 2015, with four new spans, each weighing 65 tonnes (72 tons) built by Mabey of Chepstow and costing £6 million (equivalent to £8,404,000 in 2023).

[20] The unused stairways in the bridge ends were treated with a structural resin which completely fills all the holes and gaps in the void of the stonework.