During the Japanese Occupation (1942–45), the Causeway played a significant role in shaping Singapore’s history. Being a vital link between the island of Singapore and the Malay Peninsula, the Causeway became a strategic asset for the Japanese invasion. The Japanese military made use of it to transport troops, equipment and supplies between Singapore and the rest of Malaya, facilitating their efforts to fortify their positions and maintain control over the occupied territories.

On 31 January 1942, after the last British troops had crossed the Causeway to Singapore, Allied engineers set off two explosions on it to slow down the Japanese advancement into Singapore. The first destroyed the lock’s lift-bridge¹, while the second caused a 21-metre gap in the structure.

Despite the disruptions caused by the Japanese Occupation, the people in Singapore continued to use the Causeway for essential travel and trade to the extent possible. While the Occupation years imposed restrictions and changes to daily life, the Causeway remained a resilient link between Singapore and the Malay Peninsula, and contributed to the eventual recovery after the war. Traffic on the Causeway surged after the war, as thousands of vehicles crossed the straits daily, with even greater numbers during holidays and festive seasons².

This section features materials pertaining to the Causeway, particularly during the Japanese Occupation period. These diverse sources offer glimpses of the Causeway at the time as well as personal accounts of those who had lived through the war.

1. The lock channel allow passage for small craft up to 120 feet in length, a beam of 24 feet and a draft of 10 feet and 6 inches, as well as a rolling lift-bridge to carry the roadway and railway across the lock.

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Photographs