The bridge is roughly 4.9 metres wide and carried on two semicircular arches, a form that distributes the load evenly across the span and was the dominant approach to bridge-building for centuries before more elaborate engineering methods took hold. The voussoirs, the wedge-shaped stones that form each arch, are roughly cut rather than finely dressed, suggesting a local, pragmatic approach to the work rather than anything commissioned for show.

One of the more telling details is the single pointed breakwater on the upstream side. This triangular projection, sometimes called a cutwater, deflects the force of the river current and reduces the pressure on the central pier during floods or periods of high flow. Its presence points to a builder who understood the Dripsey's behaviour and accounted for it in the structure. The parapet wall has been repaired at some point, which is not unusual for a working bridge that has remained in use across generations; such interventions often obscure the original dateable fabric, making it difficult to pin down exactly when the bridge was first raised.