the dedication ceremony was held on october 11, 1924 and the bridge opened as a toll bridge. it was the last link of the meridian highway, which became u.s. route 81, to be completed. it was designed for use by trains on the lower level of the bridge and vehicular traffic on the upper level; a lift mechanism allowed river traffic to pass below. however, trains never used the lower level. in 1953, all tolls were lifted and the two levels were converted to one-way traffic, northbound on the top, southbound on the bottom.