In addition to carrying vehicle traffic, a shared use pathway on the bridge for pedestrians and cyclists is maintained by the National Capital Commission.

During the winter (1899–1900) workmen toiled day and night chopping channels to keep the ice clear for the barges to pass so that work could continue on the superstructure.

The Canadian Society of Civil Engineers held its annual meeting in Ottawa in order that its members might tour the bridge works and see the preparations being made for placing the centre span.

The bridge's main cantilever centre span was, at the time of construction, the longest in Canada and the fourth-longest in the world.

The centre span was successfully put in place on October 7, and a locomotive made a trial run on December 12, 1900.

The name was changed in September 1901 to the "Royal Alexandra Bridge" in honour of the new Queen during the visit of her son, the Duke of Cornwall and York, later George V.[9] The Royal Alexandra Interprovincial Bridge crosses the Ottawa River just east of Parliament Hill at Nepean Point in Ottawa.

The bridge was designed primarily to carry CPR trains but also had a track for local electric trolley service between Ottawa and Hull, as well as a lane for carriage traffic.

Alain Brosseau, a waiter at the Château Laurier, was walking home to his apartment in Hull after finishing his shift at 11:30 pm.

A two-year rehabilitation project which began in 2009, included various structural improvements and replacements of the centre concrete deck, the wood boardwalk and guardrails.

In October 2023, following an assessment that found severe deterioration due to corrosion of the steel structure, the bridge was closed to vehicle traffic.

[8] The bridge replacement project is still in the planning phase, with several designs having been submitted and ongoing environmental and cultural impact assessments taking place and construction is expected to begin before 2032.