From De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis

The Alexander Railway Bridge was opened on August 30, 1880. In the end of 19th century, it was the longest bridge in Europe, 1436 meters (just under a mile long). It was also the last large bridge in Russia built from imported iron. Newspapers compared it to the Suez channel. The importance of the bridge was that it was the point of connection of the railroads from Moscow and Western Russia and the railroads of Urals and Siberia, including the Trans-Siberian Railway.

In 1918, two spans were exploded by retiring troops. After the revolution the bridge was renamed to Syzran Bridge, after a nearby city.

In 2004, the original spans of the old bridge were replaced, though its supports remain.