Seven Arches Bridge, Railway and pedestrian bridge in Newport, Ireland

The Seven Arches Bridge in Newport is a single-track viaduct of seven segmental arches, each spanning 37 feet with a rise of 12 feet 6 inches, built of squared red sandstone with limestone detailing. It crosses the Black Oak River on piers 6 feet thick with pointed cutwaters, and measures 305 feet long and 18 feet 6 inches wide.

The Seven Arches Bridge was built around 1892 to carry the Achill branch of the Midland Great Western Railway over the Black Oak River. Trains did not run across it until 1894, while a nearby tunnel was being finished. The last train crossed in the autumn of 1937, and the line later became part of the Great Western Greenway.

The structure holds position 112 on the Record of Protected Structures for County Mayo, representing Victorian engineering methods in Ireland.

Today this bridge is part of the Great Western Greenway, a route for cyclists and pedestrians to cross the river. Visitors can easily access and walk across the structure as part of their journey along the greenway path.

The structure features thick stone arch rings and substantial piers with pointed projections that were designed to direct water flow during high river levels. These careful details show how Victorian railway builders approached engineering challenges.