Congress passed Public Bill No. 272 on May 22, 1926, to finance the bridge, construction began on August 15, 1927, and the bridge opened on August 24, 1928, with Governor Harry F. Byrd cutting the ribbon. The Rhode Island crashed into the bridge on June 3, 1939, leaving 2 injured, and the bridge reopened on February 1, 1940, after 6 months of repairs. The Morehead crashed into the bridge on June 13, 1943, and it reopened 90 days later after repairs. In 1944, C.M. Jordan established the South Norfolk Bridge Commission, Inc. and served as its general manager and executive vice president, and in 1957 he passed away at age 77. In 1977, ownership and maintenance of the Jordan Bridge transferred to the City of Chesapeake. Big Red, a crane barge, struck the bridge on January 4, 2004, and the bridge reopened 90 days after repairs. In 2008, the city voted to suspend use of the bridge. In 2009, Figg Bridge Developers submitted plans for a new privately funded bridge that included removal of the original, and City Council voted unanimously to approve on January 27. Construction on the new bridge commenced in 2010, and it opened to traffic in late October 2012.