Connought Drive Bridge (Anderson Bridge)

Connought Drive Bridge, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

Shot One of the oldest Bridges in BW over Singapore river in the Central Business District in Singapore called Anderson Bridge. One can see all the tourist buses parked on this bridge from here the tourist go and see Merlion, Esplanade etc.

Anderson Bridge is a vehicular bridge that spans across the Singapore River. It is located near the river's mouth in the Downtown Core Planning Area of Singapore's Central Area.

The Anderson bridge was completed in 1910[1], and was named after the Governor of the Straits Settlements and High Commissioner for the Federated Malay States (1904–1911), Sir John Anderson, who officially opened the bridge on 12 March 1910. It formed part of the Singapore Grand Prix's Marina Bay Street Circuit, which debuted on 28 September 2008.Anderson Bridge was built with the intention to replace the overloaded Cavenagh Bridge as the link between the government administrative area in the Civic District on the northern bank and the Commercial District (now Raffles Place) on the southern bank of the Singapore River. Due to the flourishing trade on the Singapore River by the 1880s, Cavenagh Bridge could not support the increasingly heavy traffic into town. Despite the building of Ord Bridge and Read Bridge, the traffic situation did not improve and in fact worsened following the widening of Battery Road. Its low draught was also insufficient for the passage of boats at high tide. However, when Anderson Bridge was completed in 1910, Cavenagh Bridge was spared from demolition and was converted to a pedestrian bridge, with heavier vehicles, horse and ox carts being diverted to Anderson Bridge.

Anderson Bridge was constructed between 1908 and 1910, as a joint venture between the colonial government and the Municipality after the reclamation of the south bank of the Singapore River. The abutments were built by the Westminster Construction Company Limited.

The elegant bridge displays an excellent combination of intricate plaster and metalwork unmatched by any other bridge locally. It comprises three steel arches with supporting steel ribs extending across them, two rusticated archways and a fluted pier at each end.

During the Japanese Occupation of Singapore (1942-1945), the severed heads of criminals were hung on Anderson Bridge as a warning to discourage citizens from breaking the law.

Uploaded by Swami Stream on 14 Nov 09, 7.31PM IST.