The bridge is named in honor of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States.

[2] In July 1954, various government agencies and members of Congress came together to propose a bridge connecting to Constitution Avenue NW (although debate continued and numerous unsuccessful proposals were made to move the bridge to other locations over the next four years).

In July 1955, the association agreed to allow the federal government to use the southern end of Theodore Roosevelt Island.

[5] The United States Commission of Fine Arts approved a steel bridge design in December 1955.

[10] Theodore Roosevelt Bridge underwent minor rehabilitation work overseen by the District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) in 2013.