The bridge is named after Georgia-born poet Sidney Lanier and carries part of U.S. Route 17 in Georgia.

The initial plans for a bridge at the location came from Georgia Governor Melvin E. Thompson, who thought it would help the tourism industry on nearby Jekyll Island.

Construction commenced under his administration and continued under the next two governors, overseen by the State Toll Bridge Authority.

However, due to poor navigational clearance, the bridge suffered two ship collisions, with one in 1972 resulting in the deaths of ten individuals.

Additionally, by the late 1990s, the low vertical clearance prevented larger cargo ships from accessing the Port of Brunswick, located upriver from the bridge.

The bridge was a four-lane north-south thoroughfare that carried U.S. Route 17 approximately 1 mi (1.6 km) over the Brunswick River.

[6] Melvin E. Thompson, then-governor of Georgia, was a big promoter of this effort and pushed to increase tourism to the island while in office.

[1] The bridge would be located immediately south of the city's downtown and about 5.4 mi (8.7 km) upstream from the river's mouth.

[1] For the bridge, roughly two-thirds of the project's funds were provided by the federal government of the United States.

[9] In February 1956, the authority announced that the bridge would be named in honor of Sidney Lanier,[12] a Georgia-born poet active in the 19th century.

[15] However, by April 11, the date of the dedication ceremony, which would feature a speech from former Governor Talmadge, was reported as June 18.

[1] The year of its opening, it was given an honorable mention as one of the most beautiful new bridges in the United States by the American Institute of Steel Construction.