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Coleman Bridge was the second bridge along the Singapore River after Elgin Bridge. Constructed in 1840, the brick bridge was designed by George Drumgold Coleman and had nine arches. It was the first bridge in Singapore to be built in masonry and was referred to as the New Bridge, lending its name to the road on its southern end – New Bridge Road.
The bridge was replaced first by a wooden one in 1865 and an iron structure in 1886. This iron bridge was considered one of the most attractive bridges spanning the Singapore River. It stood for about a century, but was unable to cope with the increasingly heavy traffic flow between New Bridge Road and Hill Street. The iron bridge was finally demolished in 1986 and replaced with the present bridge. However, 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.
Coleman was born in 1795 in Ireland and was Singapore’s first architect. A few of his works still stand today within the Civic District, for example, the Old Parliament House and the Armenian Church. He also constructed an iron suspension bridge across the Kallang River.