The temporary floater bridges were known to have existed since the 12th century. The stationary bridges existed in Kiev from mid-19th century, but none of them survived through the turbulent events that followed the 1917 Russian Revolution. According to the chronicles, the earliest floating bridge across the Dnieper River in the area was built in the 1115. It was located near Vyshhorod or, according to different accounts, near the Vydubychi Monastery. Records exist about another floater in the 17th century with stationary approaches from the shores. Such bridges could only be temporary as Dnieper ices in most winters at the Kiev's latitude and the pillar's icing and the roaring ice drift each spring remain a concern even for modern bridges. Additionally, the river stream was especially strong before the Dnieper was dammed in the 20th century.

Therefore, the cross-river traffic was carried by boats and ferries throughout centuries. From the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century, Kiev was served by two stationary bridges. Both bridges had similar fates. Built at the times of the industrial revolution in the Russian Empire these engineering masterpieces of their time survived World War I and the Russian Civil War. Both were blown up in 1920 by the Polish troops retreating from Kiev following their unsuccessful armed intervention into Ukraine.

The first stationary bridge in Kiev was built between 1848 and 1853. This 770 m (2,526 ft)-long Nicholas Bridge was a chain suspension bridge rested on five pillars. Being one of the largest and most beautiful bridges in Europe, it was the pride for the city until it was blown up in 1920 by the Polish troops. The heavily damaged bridge was not subject to the restoration and in 1925 a new bridge was constructed in its place under the name Yevheniya Bosh Bridge

The second stationary bridge was built in 1868-1870 with the construction supervision conducted personally by Amand Struve. This over 1 kilometre long railroad truss bridge was initially named to its constructor, engineer Struve. Standing on 13 piers, over 1 km long, the bridge was the longest in Europe at that time. During the construction Struve first in the Russian Empire used caisson method to lay the foundation . On February 17, 1870 the first train by the Kiev-Kursk railroad company arrived through the bridge to the Kiev railroad station.

Similarly to the Nicholas Bridge, the Struve Bridge survived World War I and the Civil war, but was blown up in 1920 by the retreating Polish troops The bridge was built in 1906 and was blown up in 1943 by the retreating forces of Nazi Germany. Rusanivsky bridge connected the Darnytsia region with the city of Kiev by the Brovary chaussée (highway). The bridge was designed by architect V.Apishkov.

In 1965 in its place was erected the Metro Bridge and the Rusanivsky Metropolitan Bridge (extension of the first) which both are part of the Svyatoshyno-Brovary Subway Line New bridges were built in the early Soviet years but were destroyed in the first months of the 1941 Nazi German invasion. Restored by forced labor of war prisoners and civilians during German occupation they were blown up again by Germans when they retreated from Kiev in November 1943 Within months after the Polish troops blew up the original chain bridge, that very summer 1920 the Ukrainian engineer Evgeny Paton proposed the reconstruction project that would have reused the old chains to be lifted from under water. However, rusting made the metallic parts of the old bridge unusable and for the following two years Paton worked on several projects of the Nicholas bridge's restoration. He ended up proposing to construct a totally new bridge but this proposal was declined by the supporters of the reusing of the old elements from underwater.

The year of 1923 passed in arguing between the two proposals. The construction overseen by Paton was finished by 1925 and the completed bridge was named after the former Soviet People's Secretary of Internal Affairs and a fierce Bolshevik Yevgeniya Bosch. Following the Nazi attack on the Soviet Union, the bridge was destroyed on September 18, 1941 by retreating Soviet forces. A ponton bridge was built on its place by forced labour under German occupation, which was destroyed again by German troops retreating from Kiev. The replacement Darnytskyi railroad bridge was built in early 1920s but shared the fate of the Bosh Bridge. Destroyed in the first months of the Great Patriotic War, it was restored during German occupation by forced labor, and was destroyed again by retreating German troops. During the Battle of Kiev, Red Army's attempt to catch the bridge by landing forces was unsuccessful. The Germans blew up the bridge on the eyes of the Soviet landing force unit. The landing unit was disbanded for the operation failure. Immediately after the liberation a temporary wooden bridge was built at the location of the blown up Darnytskyi bridge by the Red Army engineers in the record thirteen-day time (some sources cite thirty days) in the urgency to facilitate the pursuit of the German army on its retreat from Ukraine. The record short construction time plan was met despite the frequent German bombing raids. 50,000 Kievans took part in the bridge construction.

Two subway lines were planned to be laid underneath the bedrock of Dnieper river. One line (Northern) would have stretched from the Obolon neighborhood (Obolon Raion) and to what is known as Vygurivshchyna (Desna Raion) near Voskresenska Slobidka on the left-bank of Dnieper in the close proximity of Troieschyna. Another line (Southern) was planned to cross Dnieper from the Zhukiv Island to Osokorky (Darnytsia Raion). The construction started in 1936 and was planned to be finished sometime in 1944. After the start of the World War II all constructions (known as the Construction No.1) were suspended and afterward recognized as unreasonable. Nonetheless the entrances to the unfinished tunnels still exist around the mentioned neighborhoods, which are mostly unguarded.

The Moskovskyi ("Moscow") Bridge, designed by the architect A.V.Dobrovolsky and an engineer by G.B.Fux, was built in 1976. It is a cable-stayed bridge, with the beam of the main span being held by a cluster of steel ropes which are fixed to a 115 meters tall A-pylon. The bridge consists of two spans: a 816 m long and 31.4 m wide span across the Dnieper and a 732 m long, 29.1 m wide span across the Desyonka, a Dnieper tributary. It is a key structure on the northern end of the Kiev Smaller Beltway, connecting Petrivka to the densely-populated north-eastern residential neighborhoods. From the moment of its construction the bridge was built as a high-speed motorway, which it remains to this day.

The Metro Bridge, currently part of the Brovary Parkway was engineered by G. Fux and Y. Inosov and built in 1965. The bridge is used for both the Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska Line of Kiev Metro and automobile traffic. The Metro bridge consists of two spans as it links the central Hidropark island as well as the left and right banks. The larger span consists of an elevated central Metro span and side automobile spans on separate, lower estacades. Both the Metro and automobile paths have a distinct arched contour. This was because the Metro line continues into the hill of the right bank with the Dnipro station.

The smaller span called Rusanovsky Bridge which links the Hidropark with the left bank is a more conventional level estacade with two northern traffic lanes and a southern Metro path.

The 1,543 metres long Paton Bridge, built in 1953, is the longest of the Dnieper bridges in the city. It was the first fully welded steel construction of such length in the world to the date of completion and it was the longest bridge in Europe at that time. The bridge was named after Evgeny Paton, the famous welding engineer who developed the technology for the structure. He died a few weeks before the construction was completed, never seeing his masterpiece. Initially carrying the automotive traffic and cross-Dnieper tram lines, the bridge have recently been renovated. The tram rails were removed and the electric trolley bus infrastructure was added to the bridge. Shutting down the tram line that historically served the bridge has met the mixed reception from the Kievans, despite the municipal authorities claimed that the tram service over the bridge has become impractical. The bridge currently has 3 traffic lanes in both directions and one reversible lane connecting Pechersk to the Left Bank.

The Pivdennyi ("Southern") Bridge, designed by the architect A. Gavrilov and engineered by G. Fux, was built in 1990. It is the second metro bridge in Kiev, serving both the Syretsko-Pecherska metro line and automobile traffic. The shrouds holding the spans on the bridge are supported by a two-column ferroconcrete construction 115 m in height. The bridge currently has 3 traffic lanes in both directions. It connects the Vydubychi to the rapidly-developing left-bank Darnytsia neighborhood, completing the southern end of the "inner circle" road route.

The Havanskyi ("Harbour") Bridge was opened on 17 December 2007 for automotive traffic from Podil towards Obolon across Havan' — the mouth of the former Pochayna River, with the construction being started in 2003, serving as a substitute for the closed Rybalskyi Bridge. On October 23, 2010 the bridge was opened for two-way traffic together with an adjacent flyover on the right bank The construction of a new 7 km (4 mi) long metro/automobile bridge is underway on Trukhanov Ostriv, on the midway between existing Moskovskyi Bridge and Metro Bridge. The bridge is a part of the future Podilsko-Voskresenska Line, and it will carry 3 lanes of auto traffic in both directions. However, the project is complicated by the serious land-owning, environmental and architecture-preserving issues. The construction is contracted by the Kiev municipality.

The construction of the new Darnitskyi automobile/railroad bridge is underway. The bridge is being constructed 50 m north of the existing Darnytsia Railroad Bridge. The 1,100 m - span will cost an estimated $700 million. The bridge will carry 2 lanes of railroad, and 6 lanes of auto traffic. The bridge's capacity is expected to be 60,000 vehicles and 120 pairs of trains per day. It is ordered by the national railroad company, but the Kiev authority co-sponsors the project.

The main developer of the project is Kyivdiprotrans, and the main constructor is BMK Planete-Mist. Following the construction of the bridge, a new major passenger terminal will be completed in the Darnytsia Railway Station on the Left Bank of the city. In July 2006 one third of the bridge was constructed and the first train was initially expected to run through the bridge in the second half of 2007. However, in spring of 2007, cracks were discovered in the bridge's structure, delaying its construction. The bridge opening was then scheduled for March 2008. On May 7, 2010 the bridge was tested with first electrified train traffic. As of then the bridge is expected to be completed in 2012. On September 27, 2010 the railroad part of the bridge was officially opened. According to the Minister of transportation, in December 2010 the bridge will be completed for automotive traffic moving from the left bank westwards, and for two-way traffic in the first quarter of 2011