J113 - NTU Bridge is coming down

10 September 2022 - A view of the pedestrian overhead bridge that
connects the North Spine to the National Institute of Education (NIE).
This is looking eastwards.

As part of works for the Nanyang Crescent station located right in the heart of Nanyang Technological University (NTU), a pedestrian overhead bridge connecting the North Spine & National Institute of Education (NIE) has to be removed. The bridge would have been a common sight for many of the students over the years, located right where both public bus routes converge within the university campus. We visited the site on the last day of the bridge's operation.

10 September 2022 - A view of the bridge from street level, looking eastwards.

10 September 2022 - A view of the bridge from street level, looking westwards.

10 September 2022 - A tight fit for buses to pass each other.

10 September 2022 - A view of the pedestrian crossing replacing the
pedestrian overhead bridge.

The pedestrian overhead bridge between the North Spine & NIE has been a mainstay of NTU for many students. As such, many fond memories come to mind when seeing pictures of the bridge. Alas, the bridge sits smack at the western end of Nanyang Crescent station, hence it will need to make way for the station construction works and will eventually be replaced by a similar structure once the station is completed. When we visited, several students were using the bridge for the last time whilst others were busy taking photos to commemorate the icon.

10 September 2022 - A view of the alternate stairway to reach street level.

10 September 2022 - A close up view of earthworks.

10 September 2022 - Earthworks towards the west of the station site.

10 September 2022 - A view of the road with relocated bus stops.

The site has several activities going on. Some earthwork is in progress for utility diversions, with large pipes seen for water or sewage. At another part, soil investigations are being done to confirm the soil composition to ensure that works progress using methods that are appropriate for the soil type.

10 September 2022 - A view from the bridge to the east.

10 September 2022 - Slope construction works on-going.

10 September 2022 - Another view to the east.

Even before construction fully commences, there has been a fair amount of work done at the site. The road has shifted closer to the north spine building, the road median divider has disappeared and bus stops relocated. Previously there used to be a single bus stop shelter for westbound buses that served both the campus shuttle buses and public buses. These have since been segregated due to space constraints at the tight site.

10 September 2022 - A view of the never ending stairs.

10 September 2022 - Stairs as seen from the top.

10 September 2022 - One last look at the bridge.

The bridge has since been closed to pedestrian traffic on 11 September 2022. Current students will put up with the construction works that are ongoing but are unlikely to benefit from the work going on as the timeline for completion of the station is rather long. Such is the sacrifice made by pioneering generations for the benefit of future generations. We hope that the current students will enjoy the increased convenience when they return to their alma mater in the years to come.

This post is also available on Instagram.