It is currently the second-longest cable-stayed bridge in the Philippines after the Cebu–Cordova Link Expressway, which also crosses the Mactan Channel.

Before it was named the Marcelo Fernan Bridge, it was called the Consolacion Bridge, owing to its proximity to the municipality of Consolacion, which is 1.6 miles (2.6 km) from its north end.

The bridge has a total length of 1,237 meters (4,058 ft) with a centre span of 185 meters (607 ft) and was inaugurated by Philippine President Joseph Estrada on August 3, 1999.

It was named after Senator Marcelo Fernan, a political figure from Cebu City.

The bridge also sits astride the northern end of the Mactan Channel, a gateway to the Cebu International Port managed by the Cebu Port Authority, where about 80% of domestic and international shipping operators and shipbuilders in the Philippines are located.