The bridge was inaugurated on July 11, 1934 by Québec Premier Louis-Alexandre Taschereau, in the presence of Honoré Mercier, MNA for Châteauguay and Minister of Lands and Forests. This was the first time that responsibility for building a major structure was fully placed in the hands of French Canadian engineers, from École Polytechnique de Montréal, without any contribution by Anglo-Saxon specialists.
In 1958-1959, due to the presence of the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Federal government decided to have the southern side of the bridge raised to meet navigation requirements. The Québec government's Ministère des Travaux publics agreed to build a second bridge at a cost of $1.5 million. The work was carried out in 1963. The bridge had four lanes—the most recent heading into Montréal and the two oldest ones, into Kahnawake.
