Shenton Way is a major trunk
road
A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation.
There are many types of ...
serving
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
's
Central Area and is most commonly known for the commercial
skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ri ...
s flanking both sides of the road. The road is a one-way street that starts at the junction of
Boon Tat Street
Boon Tat Street () is in the Downtown Core in the Central Area of Singapore. The street extends from Amoy Street at its western end to the junction of Shenton Way and Raffles Quay.
A portion of the street adjacent to Lau Pa Sat is closed in th ...
, Raffles Quay and Commerce Street before ending at Keppel Road.
History
In January 1948, the Singapore government announced a development scheme in the Telok Ayer reclamation area, consisting of the development of of state land and the extension of Raffles Quay from Boon Tat Street to Prince Edward Road. The construction of the Raffles Quay extension was also recommended to the government in a special committee's report in September 1948, to improve connectivity between the central area and
the harbour and to allow for the development of reclaimed land between Tanjong Pagar and Finalyson Green.
Work on the extension's first phase between Raffles Quay and Prince Edward Road had commenced by December 1950, while construction of the second phase linking Prince Edward Road to Singapore Harbour was expected to commence in 1951.
The first section of the road was opened to traffic in August 1951 by the then-Governor of Singapore Franklin Gibson. Consisting of two carriageways, the road was named "Shenton Way" after
Shenton Thomas, to show appreciation for his service to Singapore during his tenure as Governor.
Plans for the second phase of construction, connecting the initial section with the harbour, were submitted for approval in July 1951, and it was completed in 1952.
The colonial government subsequently initiated a development scheme in the area in February 1952, offering 17 plots of land along Shenton Way and Robinson Road for sale on 99-year leases. These plots were leased out on the condition that ten-storey buildings with a uniform exterior design and finish, and conforming to government regulations on their construction and use, were built on them within a four-year window.
Since the 1950s, Shenton Way has become known as Singapore's
Wall Street
Wall Street is an eight-block-long street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs between Broadway in the west to South Street and the East River in the east. The term "Wall Street" has become a metonym for ...
, especially after commercial developments and government offices were built there from the 1970s onwards and continues to be a prime commercial address on par with that of
Raffles Place
Raffles Place is the centre of the Financial District of Singapore and is located south of the mouth of the Singapore River. It was first planned and developed in the 1820s as Commercial Square to serve as the hub of the commercial zone of Singa ...
today.
Public transport
Buses
The
Shenton Way Bus Terminal
Shenton Way Bus Terminal (Malay: ''Pertukaran Bus Shenton Way''; Chinese:珊顿道巴士终站) is a bus terminal in Singapore. It is located along its namesake road, Shenton Way, in Downtown Core. The first iteration of the bus terminal was open ...
is located at 31 Shenton Way.
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)
The road is directly served by its namesake
Shenton Way station on the
Thomson–East Coast Line (TEL), located on Park Street next to the
Asia Square building. Other stations within the vicinity include
Downtown station on the
Downtown Line
zh, 滨海市区地铁线 ta, டவுன்டவுன் எம்ஆர்டி வழி
, color =
, logo = Downtown Line logo.svg
, logo_width = 250px
, image = DT17 Downtown Platform B 1.jpg
, i ...
(DTL) and the upcoming
Prince Edward Road station on the
Circle Line (CCL), located at the end of the road towards Keppel.
Buildings along Shenton Way
*
One Shenton Way
*
AXA Tower (also known as
8 Shenton Way)
*
SGX Centre
*
OUE Downtown (formerly DBS Building)
*
Singapore Conference Hall
* MAS Building
* Shenton House
* Eon Shenton
* 76 Shenton Way
* 78 Shenton Way
*
V on Shenton (formerly
UIC Building)
* Hock Teck See, which was built in 1844
*
Shenton Way Bus Terminal
Shenton Way Bus Terminal (Malay: ''Pertukaran Bus Shenton Way''; Chinese:珊顿道巴士终站) is a bus terminal in Singapore. It is located along its namesake road, Shenton Way, in Downtown Core. The first iteration of the bus terminal was open ...
References
Bibliography
*Peter K G Dunlop (2000) ''Street Names of Singapore'' Who's Who Publishing
*
{{Authority control
Places in Singapore
Downtown Core (Singapore)
Tanjong Pagar
Roads in Singapore