The three main river spans are of steel box construction and were built by Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast in 6 segments, weighed up to 900 tonnes each, and then transported by barge and oceangoing tug to site where they were lifted into position.

[2] Between 2003 and 2005 the bridge underwent strengthening, resurfacing and other improvements, leading to widespread traffic disruption in the city.

The bridge was built for the Roads Service of Northern Ireland by RDL- John Graham (Dromore) Joint Venture, with the consulting engineers being Ove Arup and Partners including D. C. Black Ltd.

[3] The bridge crosses the Foyle at Madam's Bank, which is the same site as King James II's army chose to place their boom barrier during the Siege of Derry in 1688–1689.

[citation needed] In January 2005 during a storm, a lorry was blown off the bridge and its driver, Peter McGuinness, killed.

The new system, costing £800,000, has the capacity of automatically receiving information from the wind monitoring equipment on the bridge and displaying appropriate warnings and instructions on variable message signs.