Coleman Bridge

Coleman Bridge was designed by George Drumgold Coleman (1795-1844), an Irish architect and also Singapore’s first architect and hence the bridge was named to commemorate him. The original bridge was completed in 1840 and was rebuilt several times using brick before the concrete bridge was completed in 1986. The Coleman Bridge was the second bridge built across the Singapore River and the first built in masonry.

The function of the bridge was to serve as a vehicular bridge that connects Hill Street and New Bridge Road and it was also being referred to as being the New Bridge, owing the name to New Bridge Road. In 1865, a timber bridge replaced the brick bridge but because of the poor construction, an iron bridge replaced the wood bridge in 1886. In 1986, a concrete bridge eventually replaced the iron bridge but several features of the iron bridge such as the decorative lamp posts and iron railings were incorporated into the current structure, in recognition of its historical significance.