Yet another comparison between then and now in the NST Series on The Old & The New

The hustle and bustle never stops

THE above picture, taken in 1959, is how most of us remember the Causeway.
Choked with traffic. That particular year, the jamwas due to a ruling that all travellers entering the federation from Singapore must be vaccinated against smallpox.

Completed in 1924 and spanning 1,056 metres, the Causeway was the first land link between the two countries.

It was built with road and rail links and also bears vital water pipes to Singapore. (By the way, the first water agreement was signed in 1927.) Not many people knowthis but the link was partially severed in 1942 during WorldWar Two to prevent the Japanese from invading Singapore.

Rebuilt once the Japanese captured Singapore, the Causeway was closed once more in 1964 for about five days because of the race riots that year.

Since then, the constant traffic congestion resulted in the construction of a Second Link in 1998. Today, the Causeway is still as busy — as we can see from the second picture taken just days ago — but the burden is now shared with the second bridge.