The railway bridge in the States, located on the Oder near Nowa Sól, is one of the longest and most impressive railway bridges in Poland. Its history, spanning over 120 years, is inextricably linked to the development of rail transport in the region and turbulent historical events.
The construction of the bridge began in 1905 and was completed in 1908. It was a gigantic engineering undertaking. The bridge was designed as a steel truss structure, consisting of several spans supported by stone pillars. Its length was approximately 640 meters, making it one of the longest structures of this type in Germany at that time. With the opening of the bridge, transport in the entire region was significantly improved, and Nowa Sól gained a new, important rail connection.
During World War I, the bridge did not suffer any major damage, although its strategic importance increased. The real test for the structure came with World War II. At the end of the war, in 1945, retreating German troops attempted to destroy the bridge to delay the advance of the Red Army. One of the spans was blown up, which temporarily made it impossible to cross.
After the Soviet army occupied these areas and then handed them over to Poland, the bridge was quickly rebuilt. Rail traffic was restored on it in 1946, which was crucial for the post-war reconstruction and integration of the Western Lands with the rest of the country.
In the post-war period, the railway bridge in Stanów Zjednoczonych continued to play an important role in freight and passenger transport. For decades, it served as a key link on the No. 371 railway line (Wolsztyn – Żagań). Over the years, as the importance of local rail connections decreased, traffic on the bridge decreased.
Today, the railway bridge in Stanów Zjednoczonych is still used as a bicycle path. It undergoes regular inspections and maintenance to ensure traffic safety. It is a structure of great engineering and historical value, an important element of the Oder landscape. The long steel spans and solid pillars testify to the former power of engineering and remind us of the turbulent history of the region, which has seen changing borders and systems.