Heritage project aims to enhance appreciation of Singapore River bridges

Grand old dames of history

CAVENAGH BRIDGE

BUILT in 1869, it is the oldest of the five bridges and was named after the last India-appointed governor of the Straits Settlement, Major-General Sir William Orfeur Cavenagh.

Assembled by convicts and labourers, the wrought iron structure bears the family crest of the major-general at both ends. It is located near the Fullerton Hotel and is commonly mistaken as a suspension bridge but is a rigid cable structure. London’s Albert Bridge bears the same patented structure.

ORD BRIDGE

LITTLE is known about its origins or how it was transported here, though it was most probably designed to be used as an Indian railway bridge.

Built in 1886, it was named after Major-General Sir Harry St George Ord, who served as governor of the Straits Settlement between 1867 and 1873.

ANDERSON BRIDGE

THE first steel bridge in Singapore was built in 1910. It was manufactured in Britain, flat-packed and shipped to Singapore.

By the early 20th century, steel had replaced iron as the preferred material for bridges as it offered greater strength and superior resistance to corrosion.

The non-structural components of the bridge, such as its bronze gas lamps, railings and iron casting, which still stand today, were manufactured in municipal workshops in River Valley Road. This was the first large-scale attempt at developing local steelworks to reduce the island’s dependency on British engineering products.

ELGIN BRIDGE

THE art deco bridge, constructed in 1929, was named after Lord Elgin, who was the governor-general of India between 1861 and 1863.

Unlike other bridges in the area, Elgin was designed by local-based British engineer T.C. Hood, who designed the bridge to better fit the environment around it. One of his ideas included raising the bridge 1.2m higher than the one before it so that heavily laden boats could pass during high tide. He also encased the bridge’s steelwork in concrete to prevent corrosion from the acidic fumes emitted from factories and warehouses along the river.

READ BRIDGE

COMMONLY known as the Malacca Bridge because of its proximity to Kampung Melaka in Merchant Road, it was a popular spot for labourers and boatmen who would gather to listen to Teochew storytellers in the evenings.

Built in 1931, it was named after William H. Read, a legislator and chairman of the Singapore Chamber of Commerce.

He played a key role in lobbying for the Straits Settlements to become a crown colony under British rule.

Due to the effects of the Great Depression and a diversion of public funds for the development of Kallang Airport, the bridge’s design is simple, unlike some of its older neighbours.

MELODY ZACCHEUS

Heritage project aims to enhance appreciation of Singapore River bridges