Tay Road Bridge in the British Pathe web archive. For four days, many took advantage of the toll-free period to cross the bridge. Viewing platforms were once a feature of the Bridge, however they were removed in the 1990s. In 2002, a Tay FM competition to find a slogan for the bridge was abandoned after the slogan with the most votes - “It’s all downhill to Dundee” (reflecting the bridge’s downward angle) was deemed unsuitable. In September 2017, after a successful campaign by Wave 102 to give the bridge a nickname, the bridge was officially nicknamed “Steve” by Chris Duke and Councillor Stewart
Tay Rail Bridge Tay date to 1854 but it was not until 15 July 1870 that the North British Railway (Tay Bridge) Act, received royal assent. On 22 July 1871, the foundation stone of the bridge was laid. The bridge was designed by engineer Thomas Bouch, who received a knighthood following the bridge's completion. The bridge was a lattice-grid design, combining cast and wrought iron. The design had been used by Thomas W. Kennard in the Crumlin Viaduct in South Wales in 1858, after the use of cast iron in The Crystal Palace. The Crystal Palace was not as heavily loaded as a