[1] The span was originally opened in 1912 as part of the last major railroad built in Pennsylvania.

The original deck girder bridge was located near the center of the tiny community of Ohiopyle and opened the rugged region to tourism.

The automobile had replaced the train as the method of transportation to what was now Ohiopyle State Park, and the narrow clearance of Pennsylvania Route 381's passage under the bridge would lead to bottlenecks during the summer tourism season.

The Western Maryland Railway was incorporated into the Chessie System holding company and saw traffic greatly reduced on ancillary lines; in 1975, all service west of Hancock, Maryland was eliminated.

Following the closure of the line, a portion of the old bridge was removed to allow for better truck access along PA 381, while the remainder of the structure sat vacant until its incorporation into the Great Allegheny Passage.