Truss Singapore
Armanda Kicks
SINGAPORE - Since its reopening late last year after about two years of restoration work, the Bukit Timah Truss Bridge along the Rail Corridor has become a popular photo stop for hikers and cyclists alike.
While the industrial beauty of both rustic bridges is immediately apparent, the painstaking effort made to restore them to their former glory will likely go unnoticed by most people who walk or cycle along them today.
That few realise restoration works have been done is a testament to a job done well, said Mr Teo Chong Yean, a director at the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) who was involved in enhancement works along the Rail Corridor.
Taking Upper Bukit Timah Truss Bridge as an example, all its 172 sleepers - 114 timber and 58 concrete - were labelled after removal so they would be reinstated correctly. Rotten timber sleepers were replaced by sleepers salvaged from other parts of the former railway.
The ensuing public debate over what to do with the land was described as a watershed in Singapore's heritage discourse in a 2015 book, Heritage, by current director of the Asian Civilisations Museum Kennie Ting.
Advocacy groups like the Nature Society (Singapore) and Singapore Heritage Society collectively proposed that the entire 24km land track be preserved as a green corridor, instead of being turned over to developers.
The restored truss bridges, which both stand over busy roads, bear marks of this approach. During the restoration process, various railing prototypes were set up, and community members were invited to give their input on which type they thought was most suitable for the restored bridge.
QUICK RIG CLAMP is a TUV certified professional heavy-duty aluminum 2-inch (48-51mm) low profile hook style clamp which allows a single person to mount fixtures to truss with ease. The clamp includes an M12 swing bolt and large T-Handle, and an M10 mounting bolt, nut, and washers.
QUICK RIG CLAMP is a TUV certified professional heavy duty aluminum 2-inch (48-51mm) low profile hook style clamp which allows a single person to mount fixtures to truss with ease. Clamp includes an M12 swing bolt and large T-Handle, and an M10 mounting bolt, nut and washers.
Singapore has 3 railway truss bridges leftover from the days our city centre was connected to Malaysia by rail. I lived next to one of these railway lines, which stopped operating in the 1990's. I was always told that the land along the railway belonged to Malaysia, and that if I stepped onto the tracks, I'd be in Malaysia right away, right in my backyard!
I lived along the Jurong railway line. In my younger days, we still could see trains go choo-choo by from the shipyards in Jurong and connect to the Bukit Timah line. It wasn't till much later that I learned it went through a tunnel under Clementi Road and through Clementi Forest to connect to the main rail line which traversed the island from Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands. In 2011, the land along the former Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) railway track was returned to Singapore after the Malaysian rail operator ceased train services here.
The 3 truss bridges are in the western side of Singapore and span different environments. The one along Bukit Timah and Dunearn Road is probably the most well-known. It goes over Bukit Timah Road and its parallel road in the opposite direction, Dunearn Road, and the monsoon drain between, connecting Rifle Range Road on one end to Bukit Timah Railway Station behind King Albert Park. It uses a Baltimore Truss construction.
The second truss bridge is near Hillview close to the Rail Mall. It spans Upper Bukit Timah Road, a major highway, and has stone supports with tunnel walkways on both sides. It uses a Pratt Truss construction.
The third bridge is the one close to Clementi Road which spans Sungei Ulu Pandan (Ulu Pandan River) and Ulu Pandan Park Connector. It is probably the largest of the 3, even if it has less beams. This is the one I was most familiar with as I lived nearby. Before the tracks were removed, I traced them from its AYE end to Sunset Way before it dove into the jungle and under the tunnel at Clementi Road. Back then, it ran parallel to the river along the flats at Clementi. There were community farms on state land before they were removed due to complaints. Some of those farms had been around for 30 years! They were a space for older folks doing hobby gardening and farming and to hang out with their friends. It was a shame they have been removed. There was even a well near one of them, several metres above the water level of the river. A good stretch of the line was overgrown, some with ponds nearby with insects, dragonflies, and other wildlife. Some rare butterflies also made that stretch their home. Unfortunately development along the line meant that some of the nature has since been replaced by condominiums and roads. However, if you know where to look, you can even find some stretches of rail remaining without having to trudge through Clementi Forest. This bridge is now closed as it's quite run down and hasn't been maintained, but some years back I could still gingerly cross it.
I wanted to capture these vestiges of our rail heritage and present not only the bridges but also the environments they are located in - roads, buildings, overhead bridges, rivers, etc. I chose to sketch these bridges using fineliner pens, specifically Pentel pointliners on an Etchr hot press watercolour sketchbook. I decided not to add watercolour wash over the linework, which stood well on its own. Each sketch took several hours. I started by blocking out the shapes on-location in pencil and finished them at home from photo reference. I'm quite pleased with how they turned out. You can watch the video recordings of the process here:
After two years of works, the central stretch of the 24-kilometre-long Rail Corridor officially reopened in 2021. This was followed by the restoration of Bukit Timah Railway Station, the launch of Rifle Range Nature Park, and most recently, the opening of the northern section of the Rail Corridor. Taken together, the Rail Corridor now features restored landmark bridges, new entry points, pedestrian underpasses, and well-paved tracks for avid hikers and cyclists. The area has also been rewilded with native plants, adding to the rustic charm of the whole track.
Located next to the Rail Mall, the Upper Bukit Timah Truss Bridge dates back to 1932, and remains the only Pratt truss bridge in Singapore. The Pratt truss design features a single tension diagonal in each panel and a compression vertical with parallel chords and an inclined end post.
As part of the restoration, rotten timber sleepers were replaced, gaps were sealed, and new protective layers and railings were added to make it extra safe. Ballast stones around the track were also relaid. Instead of trains chugging by, expect to see pedestrians and cyclists crossing it. Plus, the bridge also makes for an industrial-style Instagram backdrop.
Head towards the south of the Upper Bukit Timah Truss Bridge before making your way to a foot bridge better known as Singapore Quarry Bridge which traverses above the main pathway. The bridge then takes you to a forest path which leads to Dairy Farm Nature Park.
This nature reserve is renowned for having one of the richest and most diverse ecosystems in the world. Besides housing hundreds of animal and insect species, it also contains more tree species than the whole of North America. Weekends are busy with walkers, nature lovers, and mountain bikers, so come on a weekday if you prefer a quiet trek.
There are four walking trails. A steep paved path takes you directly to the peak, but more interesting are the unpaved trails; Route 3 (green) follows a winding forest path, past caves used by Japanese soldiers in World War II. After the hike, head to the adjacent Hindhede Nature Park to look at the quarry lake.
Located south of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, the 66-hectare Rifle Range Nature Park serves as an alternative spot to connect with nature, as well as a buffer to reduce edge effects on the nature reserve. The park adds on 7km of trails and boardwalks to the sprawling Central Nature Park Network, and includes a couple of interesting features to accommodate both human visitors (us) and wildlife.
Jump back to the Rail Corridor via the new underpass built at Hindhede Drive. Located under an old rail bridge, the 3.6-metre-wide underpass is set up parallel to Hindhede Drive so that pedestrians can access Bukit Timah Nature Reserve without having to walk along the road which has no pavement.
The 45-metre-long steel bridge first opened in 1932, and together with Upper Bukit Timah Truss Bridge, it was gazetted for conservation in 2015. The Bukit Timah Truss Bridge is the only Baltimore truss bridge in Singapore, and similar to the Pratt truss, it has additional bracing in the lower section of the truss.
The Bukit Timah Railway Station has finally reopened to the public after two years of restoration works. Located around the midway point of the 24km Rail Corridor, the Railway Station is part of a new 4.3-hectare space for the community.
Visitors can now learn about the history of the former railway station in a heritage gallery located in the old railway station. There, you can also pick up a cup of coffee at the cafe housed in the former staff quarters and enjoy the new amenities, gardens and lawns.
Targeted to be opened to the public by 2025, the Mandai and Mangrove Mudflat forms the northernmost point of the Rail Corridor. These mangroves are some of the last in Singapore that have an extensive wetland at low tide, and serve as an important rest and feeding stop for migratory birds coming from the far north and south. Once public access becomes available, it will have been enhanced with nature trails, bicycle racks and bird hides for visitors to admire the birds on the mudflats.
Clementi Forest is a hidden gem that's about 85 hectares of wilderness at the heart of residential areas in the West. Accessible from the Rail Corridor or opposite Ngee Ann Poly, this hiking trail is as wild as it gets in Singapore. Put on a pair of good hiking shoes to get you through muddy ground and undulating terrain. Along the way, keep your eyes peeled for abandoned railway tracks, wildlife, lush streams and even a manmade cascading waterfall. Do bring a friend for safety's sake, and remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints.
64591212e2