The individual character of Banbridge depends to a very great extent upon the cutting and flyover at the summit of the very steep hill over which the old Dublin road passed. It was described in Lewis’s Topographical Dictionary thus: "In the centre of the principal street to the west of the river formerly stood the Market House, a large and inconvenient building, which was taken down in 1832 to make way for a series of improvements.

Prior to that period the street was very steep and difficult to access; but an excavation 200 yards long and 15ft deep, has been made along its centre, crossed by a handsome viaduct of one elliptic arch of hewn granite, under which the mail coaches and other vehicles pass.

The street being very wide, a carriage road was left on each side of the excavation, running parallel with it and on a level with the ground floors of the houses, shops and public buildings: these side roads are protected throughout their entire length by a stone wall rising from the bottom of the excavation to the height of three feet above their level.

This great undertaking was completed in 1834, at an expense, including the erection of the viaduct and the formation of its approaches, of £19 000" – a phenomenal sum at that date. The bridge over the cut (formerly known as ‘The Jingler’s Bridge’ from a lady called ‘The Lurgan Jingler’ who kept an apple stall there) was rebuilt in 1885 and in 1892 renamed 'Downshire Bridge' to mark the coming of age of the 6th Marquess of Downshire.

The Cut and the bridge over the Bann were amongst the first works of the famous Irish road and rail engineer William Dargan, who was born in Banbridge’s twin town of Carlow.

'The Cut' and its surrounding approches provide a feature that makes Banbridge like no other town in Ireland.