It was constructed in 1836–1842 and originally carried the Erie Canal over the Genesee River.

In 1927, a roadbed was added to carry automobile traffic and named Broad Street.

[2] In 2018, a project called Aqueduct Reimagined was announced under the city's ROC the Riverway initiative, which proposes removing the automotive road deck to create a pedestrian space and creating walkway connections to nearby waterfront pathways.

[3] An early proposal involved partially re-flooding the former canal and subway bed on the aqueduct with water similar to the Canalside project in Buffalo, NY.

An alternate concept moved into community engagement and design phases in 2022.