Fifty years ago on August 18, the city of jute, jam and journalism was officially connected to the Kingdom of Fife with the completion of the Tay Road Bridge.

It may only carry around 26,000 vehicles on an average day – around 4000 less than the Forth Road Bridge – but it still remains one of the most important transport links in Scotland.

The last five decades have been kind to the £4.8m structure which has lived through the abolition of tolls and an unsuccessful marketing campaign to find a new slogan that has stuck in the minds of the locals.

Here we look at the 50-year history of the bridge and the other important numbers that define it.

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A road bridge was in consideration to cross the River Tay for a number of years from the 1950s, more than 70 years after the completion of the second Tay Rail Bridge, with a road bridge being built further along from where either of the rail connections had been installed.

May 20, 1957: Minister for the Scottish Office, Lord Strathclyde (Thomas Galbraith), held a meeting with the Secretary of State for Scotland (John Maclay) agreeing “that the technical, financial, and economic implications of the Tay Bridge Scheme should be examined”.

May 13, 1958: This discussion becomes public in a meeting between Lord Strathclyde and the Earl of Dundee, however, there were concerns over the census and could not provide a concrete date about when such a provision would take place.

Dundee Waterfront: Different views of the crossing’s construction. Tay Road Bridge Joint Board

March 1963: Construction of the bridge began following designs from English-born William Fairhurst who, as well as being an International Chess Master, would later design the Kingston Bridge over Glasgow and be awarded a CBE for his services to engineering.

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The West Graving, King William and Earl Grey docks were blocked and the Royal Arch was demolished despite being a lauded local landmark where Queen Victoria arrived on a visit.

(There is also currently a campaign to rebuild the arch as part of the new Dundee Waterfront project.)

Finishing touches: Bridge opened on August 18, 1966. Tay Road Bridge Joint Board

After three years of construction, the bridge finally opened on August 18, 1966, and at the time was one of the longest road bridges in Europe.

In 2002, it was decided the bridge needed a new slogan and a competition was run by Tay FM.

Because of the crossing’s angle where it was taller in Fife, the entry with the most votes was “It’s all downhill to Dundee”.

The idea for a slogan was then quickly shelved.

Road bridge: A picturesque location over the River Tay. Dave Conner

According to the Tay Road Bridge website, there have been five major projects undertaken on the bridge to ensure its maintenance.

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2002/03: “Strengthening to internal ring beam stiffeners to increase bridge carrying capacity to 44 tonnes” – allowing heavier vehicles to cross it, at a cost of £3.8m.

2005/08: “Replacement of fixed/sliding bearings to columns and Dundee Abutment, internal strengthening and modification of internal diaphragms” – which cost a whopping £21.7m, more than five times the amount the bridge cost to build 40 years previous.

2008/09: “Replacement of existing lighting columns with galvanised/painted steel columns” -giving better light for any foot passengers as well as vehicles, at a cost of £245,000.

2009/10: “Replacement of sliding bearings at south end of bridge and associated works to Fife Abutment” – and much cheaper than the other bearings replacements, at a cost of £750,000.

River Tay: Road bridge was built 50 years ago this week. Neil Williamson

March 31, 2006: Tolls were scrapped on the Erskine Bridge but remain on the Tay and Forth bridges.

May 31, 2007: MSPs vote to scrap tolls on the remaining two bridges and £15m in capital debt remaining for the Tay Bridge was taken on by the Scottish Executive in a one-off payment.

February 11, 2008: The tolls were officially abolished with funding for the Tay Bridge now provided by the Scottish Government.

December 17, 2008: It emerges that traffic on the Tay Road Bridge has actually increased since the abolition of the tolls. Between March and October 4.28% more vehicles crossed the bridge into Fife from Dundee than in the same period in 2007.

Stunning sunset: Both bridges, road and rail. Blu-Dog

On Sunday, there will also be an all-day event celebrating the anniversary of the road.

There will be vintage bus trips along the bridge as well as a Harley Davidson convey and several pipe bands playing at Slessor Gardens.

Boat trips have been organised to replicate the old Tay Ferry, which the bridge replaced, however, these are all fully booked. For more details, see here.

And for more pictures from the Tay Road Bridge Joint Board, see below.