Elgin Bridge

Elgin Bridge is a historic vehicular bridge that connecting the Downtown Core to the Singapore River area.

The bridge was named in honour of Lord Elgin, India’s Governor-General back in 1862 when an iron bridge was built across the Singapore River, which replaced an old wooden bridge.

Elgin Bridge, History, Names After, Built In, Address & Location, Singapore

The bridge’s long history dates back to 1819, which was when Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles arrived in Singapore and established the colony. In June 1819, he sent an order that a bridge across the Singapore River should be built immediately in order to serve a town he was planning for the Chinese community located on the southern area of the river, while another town was planned for the Malays located on the northern side.

A wooden footbridge was constructed in 1822, which was called the Presentment Bridge. It was the only crossing used until 1840, which saw the construction of Coleman Bridge upstream. This was followed by a series of repairs until it was eventually demolished in 1844, then replaced by another footbridge designed by JT Thomson and renamed Thomson’s Bridge. By 1845, the bridge underwent widening in order to accommodate carriages.

In 1862, the Elgin Bridge replaced Thomson’s Bridge; it was originally a simple iron bridge made with materials from Calcutta, India. From then on until May 1929, the bridge underwent several reconstructions and improvements to accommodate pedestrian and vehicle traffic. The current structure is the fourth to be constructed in the same location. In 1989, the bridge was restored as part of the plans for beautifying the Singapore River.

By 2009, the Urban Redevelopment Authority gave the bridge conservation status.