It is owned by and operated by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), and is required by the Title 33 of the Code of Federal Regulations to open on signal for maritime traffic.

[7] It incorporated an existing road, now Ferry Street (Newark), on the west bank of the Passaic River and another across the southern tip of New Barbadoes Neck to the Hackensack.

[21] On December 13, 1913 New Jersey dedicated the new "Lincoln Way" after having spent $1.25 million on a widening and re-paving project in the northeastern part of the state.

[22] By the early 1920s this part of the route of the Lincoln Highway, including the bridges spanning the rivers, was among the most heavily used roads in the United States.

[35] The central span between dual towers of black steel is horizontally raised and lowered by engines and counterweights.

[39][40] It remains partially navigable for commercial maritime traffic, notably coal deliveries to the Hudson Generating Station.

[42] On December 25, 2005, two Jersey City police officers died while on duty after their rescue vehicle plunged into the river from the bridge.

Shawn Carson and Robert Nguyen were summoned by colleagues to bring additional flares to the western approach to the bridge to better regulate traffic.

Extreme weather conditions had caused poor visibility, and the gate that normally lowers when the bridge is in the open position had been malfunctioning for some time.

They did not know that the lift span had then been raised, and as they were making their return trip, their vehicle went over the edge of the open bridge.

[46] According to the NJDOT, the barrier was experiencing continuous problems due to an earlier accident, and the agency was waiting for replacement equipment to do repairs.

[48] On May 9, 2007, the New Jersey Legislature adopted a joint resolution designating the crossing the "Shawn Carson and Robert Nguyen Memorial Bridge".