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Singapore-Johore Causeway

Singapore-Johor Bahru Causeway, a 1,056 m long (3,465 ft) cross-country link over the Strait of Johor, between Singapore and Malaysia, located at the northern region of Singapore. The Causeway was first proposed by the Director of Public Works, Federated Malay States. Development work began towards end of 1919 at a cost of $17 million. It was officially opened on 28 June 1924 by Governor Sir Laurence Guillemard, in the presence of His Royal Highness the Sultan of Johore. During the British colonial administration, the Causeway crossing was a convenient link to Malaya. The Causeway with a two-track railway, was opened to goods trains, and passenger trains on September and October 1923, respectively. Today it marks the border of Singapore and Malaysia, and is symbol of the close relationship between the two countries.

History
Until the development of the Singapore-Johor Bahru Causeway, crossings to and from Malaya, was by ferry-boats. Discussions on the need for a Singapore-Malaya crossing link began on 7 November 1898 at the Legislative Council. These plans were authorised and approved on 22 August 1899. Governor Frank Swettenham, a railway enthusiast who had helped establish the Federated Malay States railway system, initially proposed the construction of a trunk line that would link Singapore to India but Johor's Sultan Abu Bakar thwarted these plans. Only after a British Adviser was brought to Johor in 1914 were the plans for the bridge confirmed. Construction of the Singapore-Johor Bahru Causeway across the Johor Straits thus began towards the end of 1919. It is made of an estimated 1 1/2 million yards of granite stone, and cost about $17 million to build. On 17 September 1923, the 1,056 m long (3,465 ft) Causeway, a two-track railway line, was first opened to goods trains, and soon after, passenger trains began operations between Singapore and Malaya from 1 October 1923. It was officially opened on 28 June 1924, by Governor, Sir Laurence Guillemard. At the opening, the Sultan of Johor handed a golden knife to the Governor to sever the silken cord across the gateway. In return, the Governor presented a gold pencil taking the necessary precaution against an English superstition that the gift of a knife of any kind, if accepted without a counter-gift, would lead to the severance of the friendship between donor and recipient. Despite the new link, pedestrians continued to rely on the ferry to cross the straits until a bridge for vehicles was completed.

The Causeway was built in preference to a bridge because the variable depth of water was too great; varying from 45 ft to 75 ft at low tide; making an opening span necessary, and thus incurring considerable expense for maintenance if a bridge had been constructed. The first suggestion for a stone causeway came from W. Eyrekenny, the then director of Public Works in the Federated Malay States, with eventual designs prepared by Messrs. Coode, Fitzmaurice, Wilson, and Mitchell who acted as consulting engineers. The contract was given to Messrs. Topham, Jones, and Railton, who had just completed extensive work on the Singapore Harbour. The Causeway was completed within the contract time of five years.

Besides serving as a transport link, the Causeway also supports the water pipelines between Singapore and Johor. Only after construction of the Gunong Pulai reservoir was completed in 1929, and that of the nearby second reservoir, Pontian Kecil Reservoir, in 1931, did water from Johor gush through these pipelines into Singapore in 1932.

In World War II, as soon as the retreating British forces had withdrawn into Singapore, they bombed the Causeway on 31 January 1942, creating a 70 ft-wide gap in an attempt to prevent enemy forces from advancing into the island. The Japanese invasion of Singapore began on 8 February 1942, and within a few days the Causeway was repaired, becoming operational for the invading Japanese troops. After the war, the Causeway played a major role in bringing rubber, tin, palm oil and copra to Singapore which right up to the 1960s, depended on entrepot trade to reach the island.

With Singapore's separation from Malaysia, the Causeway became a natural boundary between Singapore and West Malaysia, with the introduction of immigration controls along the Causeway by August 1965. Even so, the free access to Malaysia for Singaporeans was still available through a "Restricted Passport" which allowed Singaporeans to travel only to West Malaysia. However, this was stopped by 1999.

Increasing traffic congestion and high-level trade between Malaysia and Singapore has led the Causeway to be widened three times, the latest one carried out during the administration of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The first expansion project was carried out in 1964 costing M$500,000. The second expansion project carried out in 1976 cost M$9 million, extending the width of the Causeway to 23.5 m. In the 1980s, proposals included building a second link. On 18 August 1988, Deputy Prime Minister Ghafar Baba had announced the allocation of M$300 million for the expansion work at the Johor Causeway and the building of a new Customs and Immigration Complex at Tanjung Puteri with a view to enhancing the economic activities. The Causeway today remains a symbol of the close relationship between Singapore and Malaysia.

The Singapore-Johor, Tuas-Gelang Patah second link, first talked about in the early 1980s, was opened in 1998.

Variant Names
Singapore-Johore Causeway, Johor Causeway, Causeway.



Author
Vernon Cornelius-Takahama



References
Cheong, C. (1992). Framework and foundation: A history of the Public Works Department (p. 58). Singapore: Times Editions.
(Call no.: RSING 354.5957008609 CHE)

Singapore Guide & Street Directory (pp. 49-50). (1972). Singapore: Survey Department.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 SIN)

Tyers, R. K. (1993). Ray Tyers' Singapore: Then & now (p. 211). Singapore: Landmark Books. 
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 TYE)

The Causeway: A great engineering work completed [Microfilm NL 519]. (1924, June 27). The Straits Times, p. 9.

Lee, G. B. (1999). The Causeway. Knowledgenet. Retrieved July 8, 2004, from www.knowledgenet.com.sg/singapore/SG/WW2/WWCAU001.asp?next=0


Further Readings
Expansion work on either side of Causeway 'nearly finished'. (1990, January 8). The Straits Times, p. 13. 





Subject
Commerce and Industry>>Transportation
Architecture and Landscape>>Architectural Styles
Causeways--Singapore
Transportation--Singapore
Business, finance and industry>>Industry>>Services>>Transportation and logistics
Arts>>Architecture>>Architectural structure

Librarian Recommendations
>> Tuas Causeway
>> Strait of Johore


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