Connaught Drive

A Singapore Ducktours amphibious vehicle on Connaught Drive.

Connaught Drive (Chinese: 康乐通道) is a one-way road linking Stamford Road to Fullerton Road on the northern side of the Singapore River within the Downtown Core in Singapore. On the left side of the road, it is Esplanade Park, and on the right is The Padang. Before the Esplanade Bridge was opened in 1997, the road was used by vehicles from Marina Centre and Nicoll Highway to cross the Singapore River. The road is still used by several bus services and is used as a car park on both sides on the road as well as for coach parking.

Etymology and history

In the past, Connaught Drive was known as New Esplanade Road. In 1907, the road was renamed to its present name by the Municipal Council, to commemorate the visit of Queen Victoria's son, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and his wife, Princess Louise Margaret, Duchess of Connaught to Singapore in 1906. The princess inaugurated the clock in the Victoria Memorial Hall (now the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall). Singapore's first pedestrian underpass, was built in 1964, linking the Queen Elizabeth Walk in Esplanade Park under Connaught Drive as it approaches Anderson Bridge.

Connaught is one of the four provinces of Ireland, alongside Ulster, Leinster and Munster.

References

• Victor R Savage, Brenda S A Yeoh (2004), Toponymics - A Study of Singapore Street Names, Eastern University Press, ISBN 981-210-364-3