The original wooden bridge crossing the Avon River at Armagh Street was built in 1873,[2] and by early 1883 heavy traffic had contributed to the planking and cross-bearers wearing out.

[6] The river was ultimately widened to fill the full span of the bridge when Market Place was landscaped to become Victoria Square.

Today the bridge carries normal vehicle traffic, as well as tram tracks on the northern lane that were installed in the 1990s as part of the Christchurch tramway system.

[7] In 2004 the bridge was registered by Heritage New Zealand as a category-II historic place due to its significance to Victorian era Christchurch and its neo-Gothic design.

It is an arch bridge with a span of 12.2 metres (40 ft),[1] made of six layers of clay bricks,[9] with a stone façade quarried from Hoon Hay.