Bridges along Singapore River

Explore the rich history of the bridges along Singapore River through articles, books, photographs, and other resources curated by the National Library Board.

Last updated 24 July 2026

Curiocity: Places & Perspectives

Looking at Singapore today, it is easy to forget that it was once dotted with kampungs and plantations. And as we have changed, so has our cityscape. By spotlighting selected leisure and entertainment places in downtown Singapore as well as presenting fascinating histories hidden in plain sight, Curiocity gives us an opportunity to examine the evolution of our spaces and reflect on our relationship with them.

Accessible both in-person and online, Curiocity invites you to discover, learn and engage with our island’s history through the content and collections from the National Library Board and its partners. Presented in partnership with the Light to Night Festival 2022, Curiocity: Places & Perspectives is held at the National Library Building (3 January – 3 February 2022) and across several locations in the Civic District (14 January – 3 February 2022). Find out more about the showcase at .

This resource guide has been produced to complement the main showcase ‘The River Connects’ at the Asian Civilisations Museum, exploring the thematic focus of ‘Bridges along Singapore River’.

Introduction

The Singapore River has a long, eventful history, and some have described it as our island’s lifeline for almost 200 years.¹ The river’s calm waters made it an ideal harbour, enabling the waterway to serve as a key connector between Singapore and the rest of the world, bringing trade, people, and ideas to and from our historic port city.

Not to be overlooked, however, are the many bridges erected across the Singapore River. From wooden bridges to modern structural bridges, these constructions have served as passageways where coolies, merchants, government administrators, and many others have interacted and formed connections with each other. The bridges not only tell stories of engineering failures and triumphs, but also stories of those who relied on the river for work, passage, leisure and even shelter.

¹ Vernon Cornelius-Takahama & Damien Wang, “Singapore River (historical overview),” Singapore Infopedia, published 2016.

This guide provides supplementary resources for those who are keen to further explore this topic.

This resource guide was prepared in December 2021 by Andrea Kee, an Associate Librarian at the National Library, Singapore.

BiblioAsia - articles

Lim, Tin Seng. “Bridging History: Passageways Across Water. BiblioAsia 14, issue 4 (2019): 42-49.

Books

A vibrant red book cover features a painting of boats on a river, with the author's name in bold white text below.

Berry, Linda. Singapore's river: A living legacy. Singapore: Eastern Universities Press, 1982. (Call no.: RSING 959.57 BER -[HIS])

A modern cityscape with towering skyscrapers overlooking a tranquil river and traditional buildings, all under a vibrant, cloudy sky.

Ng, Marcus Fu Chuan. Singapore River Walk. Singapore: National Heritage Board, 2016. (Call no.: RSING 915.95704 NG -[TRA])

A monochromatic photograph depicts people working on boats, with prominent red calligraphy and text overlaying the image, hinting at a cultural or historical subject.

National Archives of Singapore. Singapore lifeline: The river and its people. Singapore: Times Books International, 1986. (Call no.: RSING 779.995957 SIN)

eBooks

A monochromatic green illustration depicts a bustling scene of boats and buildings along a waterway, hinting at historical activity and trade.

Dobbs, Stephen. The Singapore River: A social history. Singapore: Singapore University Press, 2003.

Retrieved from OverDrive. (myLibrary ID is required to access the eBook)

Newspaper articles

General

“Bridges to the past along the Singapore River”. Straits Times, 5 October 1986, 1. (From NewspaperSG)
“Singapore River Has Interesting History.” Sunday Tribune (Singapore), 10 September 1939, 2. (From NewspaperSG)
“Singapore River preserved”. Straits Times, 30 September 1985, 12. (From NewspaperSG)

Anderson Bridge

“Record traffic at Anderson Bridge”. The Singapore Free Press, 12 September 1949, 5. (From NewspaperSG)
“The Anderson Bridge.” Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (Weekly), 17 March 1910, 8. (From NewspaperSG)

Cavenagh bridge

Khoo, Betty L. “Lovers stroll across this historic bridge”. New Nation, 28 April 1972, 9. (From NewspaperSG)

“Notes and Comments: Cavenagh Bridge.” Malaya Tribune, 17 February 1937, 12. (From NewspaperSG)

Clemenceau bridge

“‘Clemenceau bridge’ at Pulau Saigon”. Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, 30 March 1940, 5. (From NewspaperSG)
“Stretch of Clemenceau Ave to be closed for CTE works”. Straits Times, 3 September 1989, 14. (From NewspaperSG)

Coleman Bridge

“New Coleman Bridge to go up”. Straits Times, 2 October 1985, 36. (From NewspaperSG)
“Two-way Hill Street when Coleman Bridge is widened.” Straits Times, 12 August 1989, 22. (From NewspaperSG)

Elgin Bridge

“Bridge over the Singapore River.” New Nation, 24 September 1971, 9. (From NewspaperSG)
“Elgin Bridge.” Malaya Tribune, 31 October 1928, 9. (From NewspaperSG)

Read Bridge

Chia, Harry. “Bridges that are 'Homes' to boat men”. The Singapore Free Press, 2 February 1960, 3. (From NewspaperSG)
“Merchants Bridge.” Straits Times Weekly Issue, 28 February 1887, 4. (From NewspaperSG)
Sim, Serena. “A bridge of their own”. TODAY, 4 April 2002, 17. (From NewspaperSG)

Ord Bridge

“Ord Bridge.” Straits Times Weekly Issue, 2 September 1886, 14. (From NewspaperSG)

Photographs

A gray bridge spans over a calm river, with modern high-rise buildings in the background and a boat in the foreground.

Anderson Bridge : panoramic view [2]. 23 May 2003. Photograph. Collection of National Library, Singapore.

A bridge over a river with city skyscrapers and a historic building in the background.

Cavenagh Bridge, 2003: panoramic view. 6 September 2003. Photograph. Collection of National Library, Singapore.

A boat is on the water near a building, a bridge, and other structures with trees in the background.

Singapore River and Clemenceau Bridge. 20 October 1974. Photograph. Lim Hock Heng Collection, National Archives of Singapore.

A black-and-white photo of a bridge over a calm river, flanked by modern buildings and cloudy sky.

Coleman Bridge: general view. 1980s. Photograph. Kouo Shang-Wei Collection, NL Online, National Library, Singapore.

A white arched bridge spans over a river with boats, and buildings are in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Elgin Bridge: side view. 6 September 2003. Photograph. Collection of National Library, Singapore.

Black and white photo of a steel bridge over a river, with buildings and trees in the background, 2009.

Singapore River, with Ord Bridge, 1984: general view [5]. 25 March 1984. Photograph. Lee Kip Lin Collection, NL Online, National Library, Singapore.

A waterfront with a curved walkway, a bridge, and a row of buildings with pointed arches and a tower.

Read Bridge, 2003: general view [1]. 6 September 2003. Photograph. Collection of National Library, Singapore.

Singapore Infopedia - articles

Cornelius-Takahama, Vernon & Damien Wang. “Singapore River (historical overview).” Singapore Infopedia. Published 2016.
Cornelius-Takahama, Vernon & Janice Loo. “Anderson Bridge.” Singapore Infopedia. Published September 2019.
Cornelius-Takahama, Vernon. “Cavenagh Bridge.” Singapore Infopedia. Published September 2019.
Cornelius-Takahama, Vernon. “Coleman Bridge.” Singapore Infopedia. Published 2017.
Cornelius-Takahama, Vernon. “Elgin Bridge.” Singapore Infopedia. Published September 2019.
Cornelius-Takahama, Vernon. “Read Bridge.” Singapore Infopedia. Published 2017.

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