It was intended to divert traffic from the 17th century Berwick Bridge, and until the 1980s it formed part of the A1 road, the main route from London to Edinburgh.

Mouchel & Partners, with consulting engineers Charles Bressey and J. H. Bean, and the contractors for construction were Holloway Brothers of London.

[1] It was built to supplement the older Berwick Bridge a short distance downstream, which still carries road traffic.

[3][4] A bridge had first been proposed in 1896, and a scheme was produced in 1914, but the outbreak of the First World War meant that plans were put on hold until 1924.

[1] The bridge is built from reinforced concrete and consists of four unequal arches, with approach viaducts at each end.