[3] When it opened in 1902, on Chicago's north side, it was the first such bridge built in the United States.

The bridge was built under the supervision of Mayor Carter Harrison, Jr., and Frederick W. Blocki, the Commissioner of Public Works.

The current bridge eliminated the need for the mid-river pier, allowing more room in the shipping channel.

[3] The bridge was traversed by streetcars of Line 73-Armitage Avenue, in addition to other traffic until February 25, 1951.

The following day the bridge was temporarily closed for repairs and the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) substituted buses for streetcars east of the bridge, subsequently abandoning the remainder of the Armitage Avenue streetcar line in June.