October 1, 2011

Kallang Park Connector

Fishing at Lower Peirce Reservoir Park
Bishan Park
For this walk, we chose to start from the direction of Bishan Park and end at Kallang. Before starting on the park connector, we paid a visit to the Lower Peirce Reservoir Park which was nearby. In this park there is a small area set aside for fishing. The Lower Peirce Reservoir is the start of the Kallang River. The river used to be a concrete lined canal all the way to the Kallang Basin. However the canal in Bishan Park is being converted into a riverine type environment with plants growing along the banks giving the river a softer more natural look. Part of this was completed as seen in the accompanying photos. McDonald's has an outlet in the park near one of the futuristic looking bridge with its gentle curves. The outlet is clean, modern and fairly large but surprisingly with a small toilet facility. This will cause congestion during weekends with many families from Bishan and Ang Mo Kio visiting with their families and baby strollers. Bishan Park stretches almost 3km from west to east with landscaped lakes, river banks and a driving range nearby. It is bordered to the north by Ang Mo Kio and on the south by Bishan.

Bishan Park
Kallang Park Connector
The Kallang Park Connector runs along the Kallang River connecting Bishan Park to the Kallang Park. The distance is about 10km from Upper Thomson Road to Kallang Station. The walk is easy and basically on level ground. It is well marked and maps strategically placed. Easy to find your way along the route but tricky near Kallang as there are several canals joining up. The river within Bishan Park is well landscaped and attractive. One can spend some time here admiring the scenery and the bridges once the park is fully redeveloped and open.

St Andrew's Bridge
Across from the eastern edge of Bishan Park is the Bishan depot of the SMRT where recently there was a break-in and a train got a free paint job on its side panels. The traditional top-down approach was evident. As we walked along the park connector we could see some photographers checking out the fences. We did not know that they were reporters from the local media until the next day when an article analyzed how the break-in was supposed to have occurred.

We crossed Braddel Road using the overhead bridge. At the Central Expressway, the Kallang Park Connector went under it. It is well lit and lined with shrubs and flowering plants along the way. It allows both cyclists and hikers to use it.

Kolam Ayer Waterfront
After Potong Pasir Avenue, we walked under a sheltered bridge that spanned the Kallang River connecting St. Andrew's Jr College to St. Andrew's Junior School. This is the only school with its own private bridge across a river.

We crossed the PIE via an overhead bridge to Moonstone Lane. At the Kolam Ayer Waterfront, there is a floating platform along which visitors can walk for a better sense of the Kallang River. There are also devices to illustrate different types of water pumping equipment used in the past such as the Archimedes screw. The newly completed 'The River Vista@Kallang' is situated right in the middle of this richly landscaped area. The bridges across the river here were designed to complement the environment with their aesthetic and modern curves.

Related Articles
Bishan Park - Kallang Park Connector
Gardens by the Bay East | Marina Barrage
Kallang Basin and Marina Reservoir Walk


The Route

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