The decision to build bridge 7 at this location dates from July 1892, when the area around Bilderdijkstraat was still called Ceintuurbaan, was extensively planned by the municipality, roughly between Tweede Hugo de Grootstraat and Potgieterstraat. It was decided that four bridges had to be built, including bridge 166 over this canal, but on the Nassaukade. Bridge 7 and bridge 166 would be the only bridges over the canal for a century, more did not come until more than 100 years later in 1996. The municipality anticipated things with its proposals however, because in 1894 the Hugo de Grootgracht was only water until the Bilderdijkstraat. In 1894 it was decided to dig the canal further up to the Kostverlorenvaart. In 1892 an emergency bridge was enough but with the decision to continue digging, the decision was also taken to place a “permanent” bridge. Work progressed slowly, because a year later only the southern abutment had been built and the granite had to be ordered for the northern one still.
