It carried two sets of tracks, part of line running to Edgewater where there was connecting ferry service across the Hudson River to Manhattan.

The tracks were replaced with a steel deck and in 1940 the Midtown Bridge began carrying vehicular traffic.

[5] The swing span was closed for the passage of maritime vessels on February 4, 1978 and a in rehabilitation project in 1984 it was fixed in place and its machinery was removed.

As of 2014, Coast Guard rules required that the draw be made operable within 12 months after notification by the District Commander.

[10][11] The Midtown Bridge was shut down for several weeks in 1998 by the Department of Public Works so that emergency repairs could be made to its steel joints, a situation described by county engineer Robert Mulder as "an ongoing problem that needs to be permanently fixed".