In response, Washington maneuvered the Continental Army further west to protect his supply line and the Congress, then in York.

[9] In the winter of 1843–1844, local businessman Joseph Whitaker, while in the legislature, "obtained a charter for the incorporation of a company to erect a bridge over the Schuylkill at the site of th[e] ford".

[11] In early 1915, state highway engineers formally recommended to the County Commissioners that the bridge be replaced.

[15] The 1916 bridge was designed by B. H. Davis and constructed by Ambler-Davis Co.[16] Each of the five concrete arches spanned 103 feet (31 m), and the cost was US$103,250.

The project was kept to a short time line by reusing the existing bridge foundations, using steel girders, and an incentive clause in the contract.

[18] The new bridge was the first in Pennsylvania to include "shock transmission units", an earthquake damage mitigation technology.

The sidewalk and unmarked bike lane, of the 1997 bridge, unofficially filled that gap for walkers and cyclists.

In September, 2012, the counties and regional planners had issued a Request for Proposal to study improving the pedestrian and bicycle "Connector" on the bridge.