[1] The bridge is the main and only road route within the city connecting Ottawa's south side to the center of the city, and is a part of Illinois Routes 23 and 71.

[2] The bridge sits about 1,800 feet (550 m) to the east and upriver from the vertical-lift railroad bridge in Ottawa, and sits at the mouth of the Fox River as it enters the Illinois River.

The key feature of the bridge is that it has a very high and long main span.

The high and wide main span is much safer for the navigation of river traffic than the older bridge, which had a narrower central span.

The bridge connects high to the bluff at the south end, is level for two spans, then connects low to the valley floor in the city center.