It is one of only two bridges to carry motor vehicles across the harbour in central Copenhagen, the other being Langebro.

In 1868-69, Burmeister & Wain constructed a railway bridge based on renderings from the grocers J. Adolphs and Christian August Broberg.

It was built by the Port Authority's building master H. C. V. Møller and opened on 30 December 1908.

It was designed by Kaj Gottlob and built by Wright, Thomsen & Kier in collaboration with Burmeister & Wain.

The current form of the name (which misleadingly seems to be derived from the word knippel - "cudgel" or "truncheon") is seen from the second half of the 19th century but has never been officially approved.