Build the bridge before the road crosses water
To build a bridge in County of Fortune, use the bridge tool for the water crossing before completing the road through it. The official FAQ gives this as the solution when a proposed road crosses water and cannot be built. A bridge lets the intended settlement connection cross the obstacle instead of ending at the bank.
The official County of Fortune demo FAQ and patch notes establish that requirement and record a later increase to maximum bridge length.
Choose a valid crossing for your settlement roads
Start by checking where your road connection needs to go. Roads connect the middle market squares of settlements, which the road tool highlights yellow when hovered.
If the route reaches water, place a valid crossing with the bridge tool, then connect the roads to that crossing. Do not treat a red ordinary-road section over water as a signal that it will automatically turn into a bridge.
Shift allows diagonal road construction, but the water-crossing instruction still applies. A different road angle is useful only if the resulting connection is valid; it does not remove the need for the bridge tool.
Check the current span instead of relying on an old limit
Demo update 0.1.10, published October 20, increased maximum bridge length. That means an older demo discussion or playthrough may describe a more restrictive crossing than the updated build allows.
The published change does not give a numerical maximum. Use the current placement feedback for your crossing, rather than relying on an invented tile count or assuming that every river span is now possible.
The available material also does not establish one fixed bridge cost or universal building time. Read the requirements shown for the actual project you are placing.
Confirm the route works after construction
Check the whole connection between settlement market squares, including both sides of the crossing. Then select the receiving food recipe or equipment that the connected settlements should supply.
The FAQ says vendors distribute products automatically once a valid regional connection and receiving need are in place, but enough stock must exist to move. A completed bridge is therefore one part of a delivery chain, not a guarantee that every good immediately appears at the destination.
For cross-region heavy freight, remember that a road bridge and a raft-port route are different transport arrangements. The demo's interregional logs, stone, clay and sand still require river transport; a bridge does not remove that restriction.
FAQ
Why is the road over the river red?
Red indicates that the section cannot be built. The FAQ specifically says to build a bridge first when the road crosses water.
Did the demo's bridge limit change?
Yes. The October 20 update increased maximum bridge length, although its published note does not specify the exact new limit.
Does building a bridge automatically supply a settlement?
No. Verify the connected market squares, selected receiving need and available goods as well. Those are separate parts of the delivery process.