In 1914, as modes of transportation progressed, the Historic Caddo Lake Drawbridge at Mooringsport was built to replace the ferry. The Midland Bridge Company of Kansas City, Missouri built the bridge under authority of the Caddo Parish Police Jury. This vehicular bridge illustrates the unique "Vertical-Lift" design of Mr. John Alexander Low Waddell of the illustrious firm of Waddell and Harrington Bridges. This design allowed the entire center span to lift in a vertical direction to allow tall oil equipment to pass through, especially Gulf Oil Company's pile driver. This design was invented in 1893 and was successfully introduced in Chicago with the South Halsted Street Bridge. The Caddo Lake Drawbridge is a direct descendent of this structure.

In the summer of 1941, just prior to World War II, the United States Army held maneuvers in and around Mooringsport as a means of preparing the soldiers for war. During the maneuvers, Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower and George S. Patton came to Mooringsport and led the Red and Blue armies in the "capture" of the bridge. They also bombed the bridge with sacks of flour.

In the mid 1940's, ownership of the bridge was transferred away from Caddo Parish to the Louisiana Department of Highways (LA Department of Transportation & Development-DOTD). Shortly after the transfer, the Department of Highways realized that there was no longer a need for the bridge to open. Consequently, the concrete counterweights were removed from the bridge's tower and dropped in the lake.