It is the only motor-traffic bridge spanning the Mississippi River between St. Louis and Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

The bridge was constructed by the Massman Construction Company and designed as a cantilever structure, which allows for longer spans without the need for supporting piers in the river channel, a key feature in large river crossings.

[3] The main span was destroyed by a severe tornadic force thunderstorm on July 29, 1944, and reconstructed 2 years later.

[7][8][9] The Missouri Department of Transportation originally planned to replace the bridge by 2028, but shortened the time-frame to 2026.

[13] Segar is most noted for his cartoon comic "Popeye” which he created in 1929 from his recollections of a local scrapper on the Mississippi River.