James J. Hill built the bridge in 1882 and 1883 for his railroad, the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba, which became the Great Northern Railway. Charles C. Smith designed it.
It is about 2,100 feet long, with granite piers from Sauk Rapids and limestone upper sections. It carried trains to the Great Northern Depot.
The Minneapolis Park Board converted it to a bike and walking path in 1994. It was named a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1974.