The West Van Buren Street crossing has been in use for 160+ years. The first floating bridge was installed in 1849. The swing bridge era began in the 1860s. The Great Fire destroyed the bridge in 1871 and it was rebuilt by the end of 1872.

The bascule bridge era began in 1894, when a Scherzer rolling lift bascule bridge was built here. The current bridge replaced the Scherzer rolling lift bridge in 1956.

The single bridge tender house is on the SE corner of the bridge.