The portion that remains in use consists of the wrought iron truss spans and a small number of timber spans at each end, The bridge was named for the then reigning Queen Victoria's son, Prince Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and was built to carry the Great Southern Road (now the Hume Highway) across the Murrumbidgee.

[5] The river crossing had become a major obstacle for travellers and teams following the Hume and Hovell route to the Riverina and Victoria, and there had been regular petitions and deputations to the Colonial Government for a bridge.

They formed a joint-stock company and built a substantial three span timber bridge over the Murrumbidgee River in order to direct traffic from the surrounding districts through the town.

Not only was a bridge planned, but an expensive iron structure was approved as a clear indication to the south-western districts of the Government's legitimate interests in those regions.

[5] In late 1861, the Government placed A£24,000 in the estimates for a modest scheme with a short viaduct, which would have left the floodplain impassable during a flood.

The Prince Alfred Bridge over the Murrumbidgee River was opened on 24 October 1867 and named after Queen Victoria's second son who was touring Australia that year.

[5] In England in 1848, James Warren and Willoughby Monzani had obtained a British patent for a configuration of repetitive equilateral triangles that could support a road on either its top or bottom chord.

Thomas Kennard then applied a more detailed analysis of the stress distribution, allowing further economy in the use of iron by varying the cross-sectional area of the top and bottom chords without adversely affecting strength.

[5] According to Bennett, the Warren girder had been adopted, because it required the least workmanship on the ground, and because of the rapidity with which it could be erected, incurring least risk from the violent floods of the Murrumbidgee during construction.

Francis Bell, the contractor, also preferred the wrought iron lattice, which, he said, could be imported from England and launched into position very economically.

[5] The iron for the superstructure was furnished by Messrs Lloyds, Fosters, and Company's Wednesbury, Old Park Ironworks in Staffordshire, and was inspected by eminent engineer Mr. Fowler.

The Fitzroy Iron Works were the first ironworks in Australia, but their story is one of persistent failure over half a century despite numerous and repeated ambitious, entrepreneurial and optimistic attempts.

The Warren truss, as originally patented, consisted of a configuration of repetitive equilateral triangles but the Prince Alfred Bridge has additional verticals at each cross girder location, designed to provide lateral support to the top chord.

Apart from not being heavy enough to carry the present-day standard bridge loading, old age had probably affected the iron and caused some loss of strength."

However, after considering a number of options for a new bridge it was admitted that, 'It was plain that the existing iron trusses, though light and of unusual design, viewed from the aspect of modern structural practice, were in good order and were capable of rendering efficient service for the life of at least one more timber approach.

Good design and quality construction have given a durable bridge able to carry much heavier loads that originally intended or foreseen, and for much longer than had been imagined.

A Warren truss, as originally patented, consists of a configuration of repetitive equilateral triangles that support a road on either the top or bottom chord.

The trusses of the Prince Alfred Bridge have additional verticals at each cross girder location, designed to provide lateral support to the top chord.

[19] The columns were sunk through alluvial deposits to a foundation in coarse gravel and detached pieces of rock, the deepest being founded about 9 metres (30 ft) below low water level.

The Bridge and the piers therefore provides an irreplaceable source of information on the quality and techniques used by Australia's first ironworks and demonstrate the technical achievements of the colony of NSW in producing its own iron.

In addition the bridge is associated with two eminent engineers, William Christopher Bennett the designer and Francis Bell the Contractor.

[5] Technically the bridge is of state heritage significance as it demonstrates some unique engineering elements such as the support arrangements, consisting of vertical pillars at each pier, having the trusses suspended from the top chords, resting on a nest of roller bearings.

These are a widely recognisable part of the built environment in Gundagai and have a place in the experience and memories of travellers between Sydney and Melbourne from its opening in 1867 until its closure in 1977.

[5] Prince Alfred Bridge was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 5 July 2019 having satisfied the following criteria.

The Prince Alfred Bridge is important in the history of the development of inland road transport and provides evidence of significant early engineering activity in the Riverina.

The state heritage significance of the bridge is enhanced through its associated with two eminent engineers William Christopher Bennet and Francis Bell.

[5] The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales.

The Prince Alfred Bridge also demonstrates the technical achievements of the colony of New South Wales in discovering, mining, smelting and manufacturing the cast iron piers.

These are a widely recognisable part of the built environment in Gundagai and have a place in the experience and memories of travellers between Sydney and Melbourne from its opening in 1867 until its closure in 1977.

The Prince Alfred Bridge is of state heritage significance as it is representative of the engineering excellence of the designer William Christopher Bennett, and of the contractor Francis Bell.