ONE OF the most important days in Dundee’s recent history was celebrated yesterday—the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Tay Road Bridge.

Four decades ago, when traffic rolled on to the bridge for the very first time, the life of the average Dundonian was slightly different than it is today.

A pint of beer cost less than two bob (10p), credit cards had only just been introduced to the UK, Harold Wilson was Prime Minister and The Beatles were at number one with Yellow Submarine.

Of course, there were similarities: Doctor Who was still one of the most popular TV programmes of the day, although original actor William Hartnell was still playing the doctor, while the US was embroiled in a deeply unpopular war, in Vietnam rather than Iraq.

There had also been a World Cup, although it tends not to be mentioned north of the border.

However, August 18, 1966, is memorable for the people of Dundee and north Fife for one reason—it was the day the Tay Road Bridge was officially opened by the Queen Mother.

The 1.4-mile (2250m) structure was designed by William A Fairhurst and cost £4.8 million to build— around £130 million in today’s money.

Construction began in 1962 by filling in the West Graving, King William and Earl Grey docks. The Royal Arch was demolished to make room for the bridge.

Five people died building the bridge and they, along with Willie Logan, director of construction company Duncan Logan Contractors, are commemorated by the obelisk on the Fife side of the bridge.

Until the bridge opened, the only way to cross the Tay was by ferry from Newport to Craigie pier.

The opening of the bridge was a red-letter day for many people in the city and it seemed anyone who had a car wanted to drive across the Tay on the day the bridge opened—although the journey was not as straightforward as intended for one young couple.

Patricia Huband was not only one of the first people to cross the bridge—she was also one of the first motorists to have a breakdown while high over the Tay. She and her husband John were crossing the bridge, after paying the two shillings (10p) toll, just minutes after the Queen Mother cut the ribbon, when their car developed a fault.

“We were driving across to Fife and the car just broke down on the way across,” she said yesterday.

“It cost an absolute fortune if you broke down on the bridge but there was so much traffic we were able to get out and push the car across. There was so much traffic and it was moving so slowly that we didn’t hold anybody up.”

To celebrate the anniversary, Dundee Lord Provost John Letford, who is chairman of the Tay Road Bridge Joint Board, and vice-chairman Michael Rumney presented a crystal vase to Gordon and Patricia Morris, of Newport, who were stopped as they crossed the bridge yesterday.

Although the couple are originally from Dundee, they now live on the other side of the bridge and were returning home after doing some shopping in Dundee.

Mr Letford said, “It is a majestic bridge and as chairman I’m really delighted to take part in this celebration.”

Around 24,000 vehicles cross the bridge every day, compared to the average daily traffic of 6500 vehicles when it first opened.

Recently, there have been calls to have the tolls on the bridge scrapped. These intensified after the Scottish Executive agreed to scrap tolls on the Erskine and Skye bridges but not those on the Forth and Tay.