Besides its importance as a major transportation route in Ashtabula, the bridge occupies a crucial location in the city's built environment; the Ashtabula Harbour Commercial District terminates at the bridge's western end.

[2] A river crossing had been at the bridge's site long before it was constructed.

[2] In 1925, the bridge was constructed by a Cleveland firm, Wendell P. Brown, for $179,000.

The lifting action depends on electric motors and a massive concrete counterweight.

[2] In 1985, the bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.