The bridge was built at the end of the 19th century as part of a series of projects undertaken for the Universal Exposition of 1900. The exposition took place on either side of the Seine river and the new bridge would enable the millions of visitors to more easily cross the river.
Construction of the bridge, designed by the architects Résal and Alby, took almost 3 years. The structure was first prefabricated in a factory and later transported and assembled by a large crane.
One of the requirements for the bridge was that it should not obstruct the view on the Invalides and Champs-Elysées. This resulted in a very low 40 meters (132 ft) wide bridge with a single 107.5 meters (353 ft) long span and a height of only 6 meters (20 ft).