No other stone bridge in St. Petersburg has undergone more reconstruction than Lower Swan Bridge, according to M. Bunin in his book Leningrad Bridges. The original design of the first stone bridge at this site called for a single span construction including gently sloping brick arch and wooden railings. The poor brick arch design, however, would haunt the bridge for almost a century, as it constantly crumbled and was in need of regular repairs. Ironically, designs for a more durable cast-iron arch were rejected without explanation by the bridge's building committee. A.D. Gotman's brick arch design was accepted and the bridge was constructed during a six-month period at the end of 1836. The stone bridge design called for a gently sloping brick arch with stone bank abutments faced with granite tiles and blank parapets or low protective walls at the edge of the bridge. The original design also called for the bridge to be illuminated by elaborately decorative floor lamps and lanterns similar to those on First Engineer's Bridge. However, those plans were never realized and the bridge's main adornment were its fancifully designed cast-iron railings. After the first major restoration, which was completed in 1880, the Lower Swan Bridge retained its brick arch, but now with a parabolic outline faced with granite blocks. The bridge's decorative cast-iron railings consisted of several sections divided by ornate tetrahedral posts. In addition, the sidewalk slabs on the bridge were protected from the inside with cobblestone and three granite columns on each side. At the beginning of the 20th century the problematic brick arch construction was finally replaced with a reinforced concrete arch supported by an elaborate system of steel trusses. This plan, which was authored by engineers B. Vasilyev and A. Solarev, was finally completed in 1925 and has not been in need of major repairs since.