Congressman Glover H. Cary (1885–1936) and often called the "Glover Cary Bridge," the bridge opened to traffic in September 1940.

It carried US 231 into Kentucky from Indiana from 1940 to 2002 when 231 was moved onto the newly completed Natcher Bridge.

Subsequently, its designation was changed to Indiana 161 and Kentucky 2262.

[4] In anticipation of a repainting of the bridge initially scheduled for 2006 (the previous repainting was in 1987), the local city beautification group PRIDE of Owensboro-Daviess County (Public Responsibility In Designing our Environment) sponsored an August 2003 straw poll to help determine what color to paint the bridge.

[5] Subsequently, Kentucky and Indiana highway officials indicated the bridge was scheduled for its next repainting in about 2017 (which happens to be Owensboro's bicentennial) at an estimated cost of $17 million.