[2] Following the opening of the Severn Tunnel during 1886, there was both the desire and opportunity to develop a more direct route to South Wales via Bristol.

[2] The construction of the line's viaducts was prioritised over several other civil engineering works of the project, as it had been recognised that they would be needed for transporting excavated spoil from several cuttings and embankments being driven around Patchway.

To assist the construction effort, a trestle supporting a movable gantry crane was assembled alongside to move payloads between either end of the viaduct.

[2] Conventional methods were dominant in the viaduct's construction, which saw concrete bases established along with timber staging to support the brick arches until the structure's completion.

[2] To better facilitate the viaduct's construction, a new brickworks was established at Stoke Gifford, capable of firing 250,000 bricks per week.