It was opened in 2004 when the A63 road bypassed the town of Selby, which traffic previously had to go through to cross the river.

[1] The main contractor on the bypass project was Skanska, with engineering and design carried out by High Point Rendel.

The swing bridge takes between eight and ten minutes to open for river traffic.

[6] A clearance of 3.85 metres (12.6 ft) is available to river vessels without having to open the bridge.

This height clearance is determined from the normal water line away from exceptional tides.