The first, a single-track swing bridge constructed in iron—the first all-metal structure to cross the Mississippi—opened in 1868, in the federal reconstruction phase post the American Civil War.

Due to increasing traffic levels, in 1893 the CBQ reconstructed the bridge as a double-track,[3] and it was further strengthened in the 1930s to allow for heavier freight cars.

The barge was removed during the afternoon of May 3 and the other track was reopened that evening bringing the bridge back to full use to carry the dozens of trains that cross it daily.

In the same year, the United States Coast Guard declared the bridge a danger to navigable traffic.

Following the passing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and a successful application for federal funding supported by the Coast Guard,[4] the BNSF Railway began work to replace the bridge in late 2009.