10 Unusual Facts You Didn’t Know About The Tay Bridge Disaster
4. At Low Tide The Stumps Of The Original Bridge Can Still Be Seen
Following the collapse of the first Tay Bridge, the North British Railway were determined to rebuild it as soon as possible. Originally, they intended to resurrect the bridge to its original design but this plan was scrapped following the findings of the Board of Trade that the design of the bridge was heavily flawed. William Henry Barlow was asked to put forward a new design for the rebuilding of the bridge and this led to plans to build a double line bridge approximately ten feet lower than the original.
In order to limit disturbances to navigation channels, the bridge was built parallel to where its notorious predecessor had stood. The new bridge was completed within five years and opened without a grand opening ceremony on the 20th June 1887. The bridge designed by William Henry Barlow is still in use today and at low tide the stumps of the supports that held the original bridge can be seen alongside, poking out of the water as an eerie reminder of the disaster.