On June 23, 1908, the south bank of the Cornwall Canal broke about 500 feet west of Lock 18. Lock Master Alexander Eamer opened all possible gates and valves at Lock 18 to relieve the water pressure and telephoned ahead to Lock 19 to close everything up. But it was too late. The bridge’s swing span pier tipped over, bringing the bridge down.

The bridge system was made up of three separate spans. The first was over the Cornwall Canal and the north channel of the St. Lawrence River. It was of cantilever design and the swing span, which was at the northernmost part of the bridge, was a truss. Two months later a temporary structure was in place and in 1909 a permanent span was installed.