The steel truss bridge was the fourth to span the river connecting the district of Santa Cruz from Plaza Goiti to Arroceros Street in the old city center of Manila.

The construction of the bridge was started by the Spanish colonial government in Manila[2] but completed by the Americans after gaining sovereignty of the country from Spain after the Spanish–American War.

The foundations were put down and the piers, two in number, and abutments were built to low-water mark, when the work ceased due to the growing instability in the country.

In October, plans and specifications for the abutments, piers and approaches were made, and in the month of November proposals were asked for by advertisement.

By the end of the fiscal year in June, the concrete of both the piers and abutments, aggregating 1,750 cubic metres (62,000 cu ft) was in place.

[3] The work continued till the following year and the Santa Cruz Bridge was completed and officially opened on March 1, 1902.

[1] During World War II, the Santa Cruz Bridge and all the bridges that span the Pasig River, the river that bisects the city of Manila into north and south, were blown up by the Imperial Japanese Army as the American forces were approaching the city from the north in the Battle of Manila in February 1945.