Dean Bridge, Edinburgh

Dean Bridge is the substantial stone crossing carrying the A90 over the Water of Leith. Its roadway runs across four arches, and the structure measures 447 feet in length, 39 feet in breadth, with the deck about 106 feet above the river bed. Thomas Telford designed this bridge as one of his final major works, completing it in 1831 at the age of seventy-three.

The plan began with three arches, but weak ground on the south bank led to a change: the finished bridge uses four smaller arches. Its hollow piers reduced the weight and cost of construction, though those internal spaces are now treated as confined areas. Work started in 1829, and the bridge opened to horse and cart traffic in May 1834. A commemorative plaque for Telford sits on the east parapet.