[5][6][1] During the 1880s, the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Company undertook the construction of a line between Chester Northgate and what is now known as Hawarden Bridge Junction.

It was decided to opt for a 165 meter-long bridge to cross over the river; this structure was complicated by the need to incorporate a means of passage for the tall ships that traversed the Dee at this time.

[1] The Board of Trade, advised by Sir George Nares, decreed that the envisioned bridge would need a single navigable opening of at least 140 feet.

To overcome the challenging conditions of the estuary, the foundations were built using a series of brick-lined wells, a technique mandated by the project's chief engineer, Frances Fox.

[1] While the remains of the rotating mechanism – hydraulic cylinders attached to a drive chain and sprocket – is still visible beneath the bridge, the pumping stations and their steam engines, which were previously used for powering such motion, have been demolished.

[12] During late 2003, major improvements to the walkway were completed; these involved a widening of the crossing so that mounted cyclists could easily pass pedestrians, while cycle ramps were also installed at either end of the bridge.

[1] In 2009, local councillors became concerned at the appearance of several cracks in the supporting brickwork of the bridge; following an inspection by Network Rail, its condition was determined to be safe and the damage to be largely aesthetic.

The bridge remained open to both river and rail traffic throughout, albeit with a 5mph speed limit being imposed upon the latter due to the tight clearances involved.

[1] By the end of the scheme, which was officially reached on 12 November 2014, the programme had cost £8 million to complete and involved the installation of 130 tonnes of additional steel, 12,000 tension control bolts, and in excess of 85,000 man hours.