In 1913, near the city of Simbirsk (now Ulyanovsk) began ambitious for the time construction of the railway bridge across the Volga river. To build structures in two versts along with flyovers were thrown about four thousand of the best specialists of bridge builders and workers. Circumstances forcing to start building from scratch: in 1914 – a fire that hit a third farm and damaged the first and second, damage from fire, experts have estimated two million rubles, in 1915, a landslide occurred Simbirsk mountains.

Grand opening of the great bridge in Europe took place on 5 October 1916 and wood memorial-title plaque at the entrance portal of the first to read what the bridge was called "Nicholas", but in 1917 it was renamed the "Freedom Bridge".

With the opening of the Kuibyshev reservoir in 1958 required the reconstruction of the bridge was also built additional car lineup in two directions. In 1983, after the shipwreck of the passenger ship "Alexander Suvorov", which captain mistook multiple spans, the bridge section had to re-repair, and from 2003 to 2008 pre-revolutionary bridge was rebuilt.

And now the Emperor's bridge looks very impressive and in the afternoon, being in a beautiful place, and with night illumination in the dark.