Originally called the Harbor Bridge, it was renamed after Daniel Hoan (Socialist Party), one of the longest serving mayors of Milwaukee.

It was designed by the firm Howard, Needles, Tammen & Bergendoff and in 1975 won the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Long Span Bridge Award.

It was widely held that the bridge in its unfinished state was used as the site of a car chase scene in the movie The Blues Brothers.

[6] Experts believe that improperly designed welds between the lower lateral bracing and floorbeams along with a period of extreme cold and snow led to the partial collapse of the Hoan Bridge.

As of January 30, 2020, founders of this group stated they were still on track to reach their goal of being lit by the time Milwaukee hosts the Democratic National Convention later that summer.