It is the oldest of the eight toll facilities operated and maintained by the Maryland Transportation Authority, and the southernmost automotive bridge across the Susquehanna.

It is named for Thomas J. Hatem, whose long involvement in Harford County politics (as a Democrat) includes one term in the Maryland House of Delegates, a long stint as a county commissioner, service as state insurance commissioner and six years on the Public Service Commission.

The State Roads Commission (SRC), predecessor of the Authority, bought the bridge in 1923 and continued to operate it as a toll facility.

The new deck had a vertical clearance of 12.5 feet (3.8 m) — barely sufficient to accommodate the growing number of commercial vehicles traveling the bridge in the 1930s.

Frequently, trucks stacked too high with freight became wedged between the deck and the overhead structure and could proceed only after their tires were deflated to allow adequate clearance.

AVI works on the same principle as automated checkouts at retail stores, and the decal itself looks like a large universal-product code symbol commonly found on many items.

[4] In 2012, Harford Transit introduced bus service across the bridge, linking Havre de Grace and Perryville.

[6] Initially, bicyclists were allowed to use the bridge all week long, with limited hours on weekdays, but since September 6, 2016, bicycle passage has been restricted to weekends, holidays, and other designated dates.