The bridge is made of concrete that is either cast-in-place (constructed fully in its final location) or precast concrete (built at another location and then transported to their final location for placement in the full structure).

[1] These bridges are very economical for long spans (more than 100 metres or 330 feet), especially when access to the construction site is restricted.

The first cantilevered segmental cast-in-place concrete bridge, built in 1930, was Ponte Emílio Baumgart [de] across Rio do Peixe in the state of Santa Catarina of Brazil.

[2] It was followed in 1951 by the prestressed concrete bridge across the Lahn River in Balduinstein, Germany [de], the first of many cantilevered bridges designed by Ulrich Finsterwalder [de].

[3] The first prestressed concrete bridge, assembled by several precast elements, was the Pont de Luzancy [fr] across the river Marne in France, built according to the design by Eugène Freyssinet and commenced in 1940, but due to the war, completed only in 1946.