Built by appointment of Pious the Ninth for the Roma – Civitavecchia railroad line, it was inaugurated in 1864 in the presence of the Pope. The bridge is 131 m (145 yd) in length and 7.5 (8 yd) in width. It was built in England entirely made of metal and transported in pieces to Rome. 

The realization of a movable central bay allowing the passage of high-masted ships was an element of advanced innovation. 

In 1924 its structure was submitted to restorations that radically changed its structure: the movable central bridge was eliminated and the railroad line was moved to the nearby Ponte San Paolo.