It spans the River Wyre, connecting Singleton, on the southern side of the river, to Hambleton, on its northern side (an area known locally as "Over Wyre"), carrying both automotive and pedestrian traffic of the A588 Shard Road.

The word shard is a Roman term for "low crossing point on a river".

[1] The original bridge was built in 1864,[2] and it went on to replace a ferry service between Cockle Hall and Wardleys Creek further downstream to the west.

The bridge was moved a few yards downstream in 1993, when the third iteration was constructed.

[4] The 1988 New Shard Bridge scheme by Lancashire County Council: