Prior to the existence of a bridge, the River Irvine had to be crossed at fords such as the Chapel-ford at the foot of the Chapel Brae; the Puddleford at the head of Kirkgate; the Friars Ford at Friars Croft and the Marress-ford. If the river was swollen due to heavy rain, travellers either had to return home or wait patiently until the river returned to normal.
The first mention of a stone bridge over the River Irvine is dated 18th August 1533 in a document from the Earl of Bothwell, General Admiral of Scotland to Hugh Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Eglinton appointing him as depute-admiral for Cunninghame. At this time the Fullarton area, on the other side of the bridge, belonged to the Parish of Dundonald.
In 1578 the whole of Ayrshire was required to contribute towards the cost of repairing the Bridge at Irvine. The following year Irvine Burgh Council imposed a tax on its residents for the upkeep of the bridge.
In order to raise money for the upkeep of the bridge, the Convention of Burghs at Perth in 1589 gave the Burgh Council the power to impose tolls on everyone who crossed the bridge for a period of five years, which was extended for a further seven years in 1595. Materials from the demolished Carmelite Priory at Fullarton were used to repair the bridge.
In 1665 due to erosion, the pillars and arch of the bridge had become so weakened that the bridge was deemed unsafe. It was temporarily repaired in 1666, and in 1667 Irvine Burgh Council paid mason John Smyth of Kilmaurs, £1,000 Scots to build a second arch at the east end of the bridge and repair the two pillars it rested upon. The Council was so impressed with his workmanship that they made John Smyth an honorary burgess.
The amount of coal being carted across the bridge from the local mines at Kilwinning and Irvine to the harbour increased significantly in the latter half of the 17th century. The heavy traffic caused so much damage that both carts and packhorses carrying coal were banned and posts were erected on the bridge to prevent their passage. The carters had to use the old Car ford below the bridge instead. On 12th July 1695 Irvine was granted royal assent from the King and Parliament to impose taxes on each boll of malt ground at the local mills for a period of ten years to raise money to repair the bridge and harbour.
On 15th January 1748, mason Thomas Brown, Burgess of Irvine, was contracted to demolish the old bridge and build a new one. The new bridge was eleven feet wide with 3-feet high parapet walls which did not interfere with the loads carried by pack horses. Down its middle ran two 12-feet long central divides which allowed horses and carts to pass one another easily. Underneath it had four semi-circular arches and pillars, each being 27 inches deep.
It took five years to build the new bridge which opened in the spring of 1753. Thirty years later, in 1783 the bridge had become so damaged due to the weight and number of coal carts crossing it, that the Magistrates were asked to consider making the Carters bear some of the cost of repairing the bridge or to ban them altogether.
During the 18th century smuggling was still a common occurrence along the Ayrshire Coast despite the efforts of the Customs Officers. When the River Irvine flooded in 1768, a gang of smugglers fought their way across the Bridge of Irvine with their illegal goods.
On 26th May 1826, the Irvine Bridge and Harbour Act was passed for the widening and improvement of the bridge. The Bridge Trustees consisting of the Irvine Burgh Magistrates, Convenor of Trades and six of the road trustees for the County of Ayr, increased the width of the bridge to 25-feet, 8 inches, and to recover the costs involved, re-introduced “pontage tolls,” with the money raised being specifically earmarked to maintain the bridge. The heavy coal carts continued to damage the bridge, resulting in higher maintenance costs.
The Irvine Burgh Act of 1881 transferred the care of the bridge back to the Burgh Council, and in 1887 the bridge was widened to 38 feet, 4 inches. Two cast iron plaques were erected on the bridge, one at each end. The plaque on the north side of the bridge recorded the main historical dates relating to the bridge, whilst the plaque on the south side commemorated when the bridge was widened and listed the chief officials of the Burgh, and the names of the contractors involved.
Irvine bridge closed on Sunday 10th June 1973 and was demolished on Friday 29th June to make way for the £5 million Rivergate shopping centre. The two plaques were salvaged with the intention of incorporating them into the new complex.
During the building of the Rivergate shopping centre a temporary footbridge was built, crossing the River Irvine at Kirkgate, which was accessed by a steep 26-step stairway. After receiving multiple complaints, a sloping path was built for prams, wheelchairs and the elderly.
The Northern Approach Road, between Marress and Kilwinning Road opened in June 1973. The Southern Approach Road, which followed the old Irvine to Kilmarnock railway line opened in 1971. The old Bailey Bridge on the Southern Approach Road was replaced in May 2010 with a new bridge, costing £3.5 million, which was later named ‘Foulartoun Arches’ by the children of Loudoun-Montgomery Primary School.