The handrail idea we employed and at the Macdougall public dry stone bridge we built in Russell Ontario was something Scott Cluett came up with to solve a common bridge issue.
How to keep the width of the arch to a minimum and still have handrails.
It is very time-consuming and a lot more work to build a bridge wide enough to accommodate sufficiently wide cope stone borders or build structural dry laid parapets. Having the handrails secured beyond the 6 foot width of the bridge gives all the available surface for people to walk on .
After we went over the final shape and dimensions, Scott who is a part time blacksmith ended up fabricating the metal brackets for this bridge and Kay's bridge in Landon Bay.
The brackets are made of heavy steel and have a thick rust resistant coating. The brackets which span the width of the bridge and have sockets at each end, are built into the bridge while it is being made just above the voussoirs. Stones are fitted around them and then over them, with a final layer of pitched stone ( or thick flagstone paving) over that, so that they are held quite secure. Metal or wood posts can be inserted into the square 4 inch sockets connected to the brackets and then handrails attached to the posts.
