Built during the early nineteenth century, near a ford that had been in use by Europeans since George Washington's 1753 journey to Fort LeBoeuf, the 375-foot (114 m) long, 40-foot (12 m) high, 30-foot (9.1 m) wide sandstone bridge with three arches was erected between 1813 and 1818 by James Kinkead, James Beck and Evan Evans, and was dedicated on July 4, 1818 at an event attended by President James Monroe.

[1] The town of Somerfield, Pennsylvania, which was originally named Smythfield, was built at the eastern end of the bridge in 1817.

The bridge and town were later inundated by Youghiogheny River Lake,[1] a reservoir that began filling in 1940.

[1][3] The bridge is normally submerged year-round, but is occasionally accessible during periods of drought when the water level in the lake drops significantly.

[4][5] In November 2024, a drought completely exposed the Great Crossings Bridge as well as the remains of the city of Somerville.