Originally built as part of the Monkwearmouth Junction Line, it provided the first direct railway link between Newcastle and Sunderland.

The bridge is now used by Tyne and Wear Metro and Durham Coast Line services.

[1][2] The bridge was designed by T. E. Harrison: it consisted of a 300 ft (91 m) main span, an iron bowstring bridge, constructed from box girders connected by what would later be considered a Vierendeel truss with curved corner strengthening to create elliptical voids in the bracing.

Harrison's design pre-dates Vierendeel's theoretical analysis of these structures by around 20 years.

Hawks, Crawshay and Sons built the ironwork, John Waddell was contractor for the stonework.