It was opened in 1970 as the Gulfgate Bridge, and allows Texas State Highway 82, a short () highway, to cross the canal and continue on Pleasure Island to the Texas-Louisiana border, connecting Port Arthur to Louisiana Highway 82.
The Gulfgate Bridge was launched in 1970, spanning the waterway and enabling passage for Texas State Highway 82, a short route, onto Pleasure Island before reaching the Texas-Louisiana border, thereby uniting Port Arthur with Louisiana Highway 82.