The bridge carries four vehicular lanes, two in each direction, of North Claiborne Avenue, which here is also Louisiana Highway 39.

Along with St. Claude Avenue, it is one of the main links of New Orleans with the communities in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana such as Arabi and Chalmette.

On May 28, 1993, the tugboat Chris was pushing an empty barge through the canal toward the Mississippi River locks.

As was common at the time, the tugboat captain would have to wait to enter the locks, and he was directed to the side of the canal to ground his barge to keep the waterway clear.

The concrete debris from the collapsed span was used to protect the new support pier from future collisions.