We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "Dave Liquorice"
saying something like:

I've seen a few Bailey bridges dotted around the UK, and I distinctly
recall the first one I encountered in 1962ish was on a road just south
of Ayr. It was still there a few years ago,

Ah but was it purposely put there as a permenant bridge or put there
as a short term, emergancy, measure when the orginal bridge
collapsed/was washed away?

The story I heard at the time (1962, from my Dad) was it was supposed to
be temporary, but it deteriorated so little and took minimal maintenance
it just got left in place as it was cheap and doing a good job. I
suppose, in the 50s/60s, there would have been a few of them on the
surplus market.