Completed in 1890, it is the oldest known surviving example of a truss bridge built in the state by the Groton Bridge and Manufacturing Company.

It was subsequently closed to all vehicular traffic in 1978 as a result of continued deterioration.

[5][7] Today the single-lane Bridge Street Bridge is open to vehicular traffic with a weight limit of 15 short tons (14 t) and operates one-way in the eastbound direction; a pedestrian walkway runs along the north side of the bridge.

Bridge Street Bridge was designated as a Michigan Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1991.

The structure is included within the Portland Downtown Historic District.