The bridge connects Newport News on the Virginia Peninsula with Isle of Wight County in the South Hampton Roads region, and is the easternmost such crossing without a tunnel component.

[6] However, a large system of approach roads, including two smaller toll bridges, was built on the Isle of Wight County side.

Traffic coming off the bridge reached a Y intersection at Bartlett, at which it could head west over a private approach road past Carrollton to State Route 10 at Benns Church, or head southeast into Nansemond County.

Projected traffic volumes were not reached, leading to bankruptcy of the James River Bridge Corporation.

The $5.2 million James River Bridge was opened on November 17, 1928, by the press of a button in Washington, D.C., where U.S. President Calvin Coolidge, sitting in the Oval Office of the White House, sent an electric signal to lower into place the upraised lift span over the James River channel.

[20] In 1955, the state doubled tolls to $1.80 round trip for cars (equivalent to $20.47 in 2023 dollars) and $4.00 or more for trucks[9] (equivalent to $45.5 in 2023 dollars) in order to pay for repairs, new toll booths, and a new punched card system compatible with the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.

This meant that light vehicles crossing only the main bridge (for instance between Smithfield and Newport News) only had to pay southbound.

Luter, Jr. of the local Smithfield Packing Company rerouted his trucks via a smaller, cheaper bridge owned by a Norfolk car dealer.

[22] In 1978, Bicycles, mopeds, and pedestrians were banned from using the bridge; the easternmost crossing for them is the Jamestown Ferry, about 25 miles (40 km) upstream.

The roadway becomes Carrollton Boulevard on the Isle of Wight County end; after a number of intersections, US 258 and SR 32 turn west at Bartlett towards State Route 10 at Benns Church, while US 17 curves southeast towards Portsmouth.

The toll building and parking area were used for maintenance workers, police, and tow truck drivers, from their usedness being obsoleted in 1976 up until 2002, when it was demolished after asbestos was discovered.

[9] Due to severe corrosion of the metal beams that supported the deck of the 86-year-old bridge structure, the James River Pier was demolished and rebuilt with concrete in 2015.