Cable-Stayed Bridges: Cavenagh Bridge

Singapore is a wealthy tropical island with a history and laws that encourage a comfortable and civil society. It's a city state, with a very diverse population who have learned to live together. It was a British colony and currently has a parliamentary government dominated by a single party.

Singapore has many handsome buildings, gardens, and a variety of very fine bridges crossing Marina Bay and the Singapore River. The Cavenagh Bridge was designed by the British colonial government, built in Scotland, disassembled, and rebuilt across the Singapore River in 1869. As commerce and trade increased, the bridge became overloaded and was converted to a pedestrian bridge in 1910.

The structure is a suspension, chain-stayed, and through-girder bridge. Instead of cables, it is supported by chains made of steel links that go up through the tower saddle and are anchored into the ground. The bridge and surrounding area are decorated with a variety of sculptures and historic plaques, including the Cavenagh family coat of arms.

The people of Singapore have shown their usual good judgement in preserving this important structure instead of replacing it with a new bridge when it became less economically viable.

Cable-Stayed Bridges: Cavenagh Bridge by Mark Yashinsky is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.