Opened in 1860, the first bridge on this site was constructed for the London, Chatham & Dover Railway Company on their line between Kent and the port of Sheerness.

Originally a bascule bridge, it opened to allow large vessels to navigate past and not obstruct maritime traffic on the Swale.

On 17 December 1922, the Norwegian cargo ship Gyp collided with the bridge; it was repaired and returned to service after 10 months.

The number of road vehicles crossing Kingsferry Bridge has dropped but it is still maintained as a key roadway between the island and the mainland, particularly for non-vehicular traffic and pedestrians.

[2] [3][dead link‍] On 17 December 1922, the Norwegian cargo ship Gyp collided with the bridge[4] causing extensive damage and a lengthy closure.

The design for the replacement bridge incorporated a two-lane roadway and a pedestrian footpath alongside the railway track.

[8] During 2010, the Kent Police borrowed £73,000 from Swale Borough Council for an automatic number plate recognition system (ANPR).

The system was installed on the Sheppey Crossing and Kingsferry Bridge that year in a bid to track criminals' movements.

The caissons are linked by a concrete structure, positioned at approximately low tide level, which accommodates the machinery room and bearings for the lifting span.

The moving section of the bridge is actuated via a pair of large electric motors located beneath the deck of the roadway.

[3] The bridge can only be lifted when the Sittingbourne railway signalman has given authorisation to proceed when a train has passed out of the relevant track section.

To ensure that the lifting span has been correctly set back into place, it is equipped with locating devices to precisely align the tracks.