In 1963, Arthur Laing, Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources, announced plans for a toll bridge to be completed within three years.

[6] On September 6, 1974, Pierre Trudeau announced that the new bridge over the north arm of the Fraser River would be named after Arthur Laing, who was a member of House of Commons of Canada from Vancouver.

[11] Claiming concerns over increased congestion on Granville Street, the City of Vancouver opposed access ramps for Richmond traffic.

However, since these commuters were already using the bridge by turning at Aviation Avenue, the true impact of ramps would be to reduce travel distance by 3.4 kilometres (2.1 mi), and improve traffic flow on Sea Island.

At the road perimeter, the installation of a buried steel sheet pile wall will ensure the bridge piers remain flexible in a seismic event.

[15] With completion of the north runway in 1996,[16] which was primarily used for landings, signs were installed that warned bridge traffic of low flying aircraft.

In 2006, YVR floated a proposal that the bridge be restricted to airport traffic, which provoked a hostile reaction from Richmond city councillors.