Built in 1915, it was the first highway crossing of the lower Colorado and is the earliest example of a through truss bridge in Arizona.

[2] The Omaha Structural Steel Works was awarded the construction contract by the OIA in June 1914, at a cost of $73,800 (which is $1.66 million as of 2023).

[3] Between October and February, problems arose constructing the bridge, as both Omaha Steel and the OIA were unfamiliar with the currents and flood patterns of the lower Colorado.

The 336 ft (102 m) span was floated down river and swung into place carefully and methodically on March 3, 1915, followed by local praise and celebration.

[3] Similarly, the historic transcontinental highway which the bridge had once carried, US 80, declined and was removed from San Diego to Benson between 1964 and 1977, no longer running through Yuma.

Following the extensive restoration and a re-dedication ceremony, the bridge was re-opened to traffic in 2002 and now carries Penitentiary Avenue.

[3] The Ocean-to-Ocean Bridge was designated as part of Historic U.S. Route 80 by the Arizona Department of Transportation on September 21, 2018.