Two earlier bridges cross the Canal, but they use moveable designs and have limited traffic capacity.

Ships must cross under this bridge when traversing the Panama Canal, and are subject to this height restriction.

The Panama Canal Mechanical Division addressed this in August 1931, with the commissioning of two new ferries, the Presidente Amador and President Washington.

On June 3, 1942, a road/rail swing bridge was inaugurated at the Miraflores locks; although only usable when no ships were passing, this provided some relief for traffic wishing to cross the canal.

A contract worth $20,000,000 was awarded to John F. Beasly & Company who built the bridge out of steel and reinforced concrete, and the project was initiated in a ceremony which took place on December 23, 1958, in the presence of United States Ambassador Julian Harrington, and Panamanian President Ernesto de la Guardia Navarro.

The ceremony was given full nationwide coverage on radio and television; significant precautions were taken to manage the large crowds of people present.

These proved inadequate, however, and pro-Panamanian protesters disrupted the ceremony, even removing the memorial plaques on the bridge.

The Panamanian view was made official by a resolution of the National Assembly on October 2, 1962, ten days before the inauguration.

A copy of this resolution, with the appropriate note on style, shall be forwarded to all legislative bodies of the world, so that all may give the bridge the name chosen by this honorable assembly, complying with the express will of the Panamanian people.

Under Secretary of State George Wildman Ball said in his speech: "we can look today to this bridge as a new and bright step toward the realization of that dream of a Pan-American Highway, which is now almost a reality.

In the postage stamps and postal history of the Canal Zone they are well known for an error on one sheet where the bridge is missing.