As Chicago grew into a center of industry and commerce in the late 19th century, numerous fixed-span crossings were replaced by center-pier swing bridges, the most common type of bridge that allowed pedestrians and wagons to cross the Chicago River while also periodically allowing ship traffic below.

As the 19th century came to a close, shipping vessels had grown larger, and the swing bridges' center piers had become navigational hazards.

In 1892, the directive was enforced in Chicago when a just-completed bridge at Canal Avenue was ordered removed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

These bridges, built under the authority of the Chicago Sanitary District, only needed to be approved by the Corps of Engineers, not the Department of Public Works.

By 1904, the city had obtained permission to issue bonds to replace the rest of the swing bridges on the Chicago River.

A design by John W. Page, the inventor of a bascule bridge over the Sanitary and Ship Canal, was rejected in March 1905 due to noncompliance to specifications.

On the movable leaves, a 42-foot (13 m) wide wooden deck was centered between two 9-foot (3 m) metal brackets that held plank sidewalks.

By the mid-1920s, the Department of Public Works had floated a proposal to replace the moving bridges with fixed spans through a ten-year period from 1925–1935, citing high maintenance costs.

The proposal was not acted upon, partially due to opposition by the Army Corps of Engineers; however, except for a brief resurgence in traffic during World War II, shipping volume remained low.

By the 1990s, the Corps of Engineers agreed to city plans to convert the Chicago River's lift bridges to fixed spans.

[3] As the surrounding area transformed from primarily industrial to residential and commercial in nature, traffic volumes on the aging bridge increasing, causing bottlenecks.

Finally, the new crossing, situated at the northern tip of Goose Island and having a clear view to the Chicago skyline, was required to be aesthetically pleasing.

The center span was constructed on three barges in the Chicago River, because of Coast Guard regulations that required the channel to be open at all times.

A suspension cable, running from anchorages at the feet of the bridge to the tops of the pylons, supports the middle portion of the center span.