Tay Viaduct, Railway viaduct in Perth, United Kingdom
The Tay Viaduct is a railway bridge spanning the River Tay with twenty-two sections combining masonry arches and wrought-iron girder spans across its 396-meter length. This single-track structure carries trains between Perth and Dundee and remains maintained by Network Rail as an active rail link.
Built between 1862 and 1864, this bridge replaced an earlier wooden railway structure and became one of Scotland's first major plate-girder designs. The project marked an important shift toward new engineering methods in the region.
The structure links the mainland to Moncreiffe Island, where you can observe residents tending gardens and using the local golf club today. It shows how 19th-century engineering brought activity and settlement to this small island community.
The bridge is not accessible to pedestrians but can be viewed from the railway embankment or from Moncreiffe Island. The best vantage points for watching trains pass are from the river banks or from paths on the island.
The western section originally contained a swing bridge span to permit river navigation, and this movable section operated until the 1950s before being permanently closed. Few visitors realize this part could once open to allow boats to pass through.
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