The first bridge at the site was opened in 1866 by the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad, replacing a train ferry service in use since 1837.

The bridge crosses the Susquehanna River between Havre de Grace and Perryville, Maryland, 1.0 mile (1.6 km) above its mouth.

[2]: 4  The bridge is also used by up to 10 daily freight trains, which are operated by Norfolk Southern Railway under a trackage rights agreement.

[5][2]: 6  The only significant commercial water traffic under the bridge consists of barges from a Vulcan Materials Company quarry just upstream of Havre de Grace.

[3][2]: 4 [9]: 4  Due to the older design of the swing span, each opening requires more than 30 Amtrak workers on site.

[4]: 293  A train ferry, the Susquehanna, carried passengers (on foot) and freight cars across the river.

[1]: 37–40, 111 [4]: 301 Despite winter ice often stopping ferry service, opposition from upstream interests prevented the PW&B from obtaining legislative permission to bridge the river.

Not until May 1852 – after a winter where temporary tracks were laid upon the thick ice to maintain service – was permission issued.

In 1909, the PRR spent about $100,000 (equivalent to $2.43 million in 2023) to convert it to a road bridge with a new swing span and a wider deck.

[16][15] This allowed the PRR to shed its obligation to carry passengers for free between Perryville and Havre de Grace on some trains, which had been a condition of the original construction of the bridge.

During 1927, the state added a second deck at a cost of $450,000 (equivalent to $6.35 million in 2023) to separate directions of traffic.

[19] Demolition of the old bridge for wartime scrap metal began in December 1942 and was completed in April 1943.

[2]: 2 In 1934, the PRR began installing catenary on the 1906-built bridge to help extend 11,000-volt electrification south from Wilmington to Washington, D.C.

[22] Amtrak reports in 2009 and 2010 identified replacement of the bridge with a higher fixed span as a high priority for the railroad.

[25] In November 2022, Amtrak announced plans to replace the bridge, with design and construction contracts to be awarded in 2023.

[31] As of March 2024[update], construction of the new bridges is scheduled to begin in 2025 and finish by 2036 with a total project cost of $2.7 billion.