In 1925, the north end of the bridge was raised about 16 feet (4.9 m) to tie in with tracks that served the St. Paul Union Depot yard.

The vertical-lift span has 105-foot-high (32 m) towers, and the electrical lift system was built with a possible 45-foot (14 m) elevation.

In April 1997, high water on the Mississippi River reached the bottom of the span.

The Union Pacific Railroad spotted a train of hopper cars laden with rocks on the bridge to help anchor it and keep it from being washed away.

In 2021, Union Pacific proposed demolishing the bridge and building a replacement with a drawbridge design.