The plan for the bridge was approved May 25, 1903. A contract was let to the Phoenix Bridge Company and work got under way. Since the U. S. Corps of Engineers determined that the White River was a navigable waterway, a turn span had to be introduced to permit steamboats free progress up the river. The turn span was 285 feet long and the elevation from the top of the rail on the span to low water level was 59 feet (which was 410 feet above sea level). The bridge was designed to handle a 35 foot rise which would give a plus or minus 15 foot clearance from high water. The total length of the bridge, not including the short five panel timber trestle approaches at each end, was 1091 feet, 7½ inches. The grade from milepost 381.8, just north of the final location of the Cotter depot, to the first masonry pier was ascending at 1%. The first three steel deck girder spans were level, the turn span and next girder span were level, while the last six deck girder spans started climbing and elevated the grade two plus feet in 320 feet. The total length of each deck girder spans was 80 feet 3½ inches.The grade then returned to a steady 1% up through the tunnel (roughly 1000 feet past the bridge) and continued to milepost 391.6. Since the bulk of the bridge was brought in by steamboat and barge, there was no need to wait for the completion of the railroad to Cotter to commence construction. By June 1904, trains began operating over the bridge, but the turn span was not completed until June 20. The turn span was operated just once, for testing and acceptance by the railroad, and never turned again. The arrival of the railroad in Cotter killed off the steamboat business.