Completed in 1889, it is operated by the New York City Department of Transportation, with an average of about one thousand crossings each weekday.

The Carroll Street Bridge is composed of a 107-foot-long (33 m) span supported by a pair of riveted steel plate girders.

[2]: 5  Swinging gates on either side close off the span whenever the Carroll Street Bridge is in the open position.

[7] The Gowanus Canal soon became a hub for industrial activity, with businesses specializing in lumber, coal, brick, stone, flour, and plaster.

[11]: 29–30  Landowners wanted to build a retractable span that would allow the bridge to slide diagonally onto the shore, but the city of Brooklyn resisted, since this would entail acquiring additional land.

[7] The new Carroll Street Bridge was designed by chief engineer Robert Van Buren and engineer-in-charge George Ingram.

Charles O. H. Fritzche designed the motors while Cooper, Hewitt & Company constructed the steel superstructure.

At the time, there was a steady decline in the use of the Gowanus Canal, and the city did not have sufficient funds to operate the bridge.

[13] In 1974, the bridge was closed again for emergency repairs after a mechanical failure left the span in the open position.

[20] To stabilize the bridge during the Gowanus Canal cleanup project, engineers drilled pipe piles during the early 2020s.