Elgin Bridge

A short walk further down led us to the Elgin Bridge. , Formerly serving as the only bridge that one could use to cross over to the Singapore River, it is now one of the many bridges along the Singapore River. This bridge was named after Lord James Bruce Elgin, a former viceroy and the Governor-General of India (1862-1863), the 8th Earl of Elgin specially for having imported the iron bridge from Calcutta.

At the end of the bridge one can see a cast iron lamp bearing a lion with the signature that reads, ‘Rodolpho Nolli’. Nolli is a renowned Italian sculptor whose artworks are prominent in City Hall and Tanjong Pagar Railway Station as well.


Did you know?

• This bridge acted as a path way which helped link the Chinese society who was populated at the South side of the river to the Indian society (mainly merchants) who were living at the high street of the North side of the river.
• The current structure was the Fifth structure, its name the Fifth name and its material the Third material and its construction the Ninth construction of this bridge.
• Firstly, it was a wooden footbridge that was initially named Presentment Bridge also known as Monkey Bridge for people required acuteness to get across the bridge due to its narrow nature. (1822-1842)
• It was also called the Jackson Bridge after Lieutenant P. Jackson built the bridge.
• Secondly, after the abolishment in 1842, a replacement wooden footbridge was built in 1844 designed by J.T Thomson and was thus named the Thomson Bridge. In 1845, it was widened in order to take in carriages.
• Thirdly, in 1862, the Thompson Bridge was replaced by the iron bridge imported form Calcutta. This bridge was now named after the Governor-General of India, Lord James Bruce Elgin as the Elgin Bridge.
• Fourthly, Due to the increasing business between the Chinese from the South side of the river and the Indians from the North side of the river, the bridge was widened yet again in the 1870s.
• In the 1880s, it was strengthened in order to make room for steam tramways.
  The first Elgin Bridge was demolished on 24 December 1926.