Original bridge was named after Eugene Talmadge, depression era governor of Georgia. The new bridge was unnamed at first. It was proposed to name it after several other more politically correct people, but in the end, the old name was transferred to the new bridge.

The old bridge was a cantilever truss. It was too low to allow the bigger container ships into the harbor. That was an intolerable situation for a port that is one of the biggest container ports on the east coast. The old bridge was struck twice before the new bridge was opened.

The Talmadge bridge is located at a narrow spot in the harbor. Interestingly, the towers are both located on dry land, and the main span completely crosses the harbor.