Marina Barrage

The Marina Barrage was completed in 2008 across the mouth of the Marina channel, and it does three things at once: it keeps the sea out so that the bay became Singapore's fifteenth reservoir, it controls flooding in the low-lying city centre by pumping water out at high tide, and its roof is a green lawn that has become the city's kite-flying ground. A gallery inside explains the water system, and the roof gives a full view of the skyline.

Background

The barrage crosses the Marina Channel, linking Marina East with Marina South at a point where five rivers meet. Work began on 22 March 2005, and it opened on 31 October 2008. The dam, 350 metres long, keeps out the sea, which turned Marina Bay and the Kallang Basin into fresh water for the first time and made the first reservoir in the city, with a surface of 240 hectares and a catchment of 10000 hectares. The structure cost S$226 million within a S$3 billion project. On 6 May 2009 it won the Superior Achievement Award of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers, ahead of 33 other entries. The yearly EOY Cosplay Festival was held here from 2012 to 2017.

Source: Wikipedia, "Marina Barrage"

The main sights

• The roof lawn - a green deck used for kite flying with the skyline in view.
• The barrage - nine crest gates holding back the sea to make a freshwater bay.
• The flood pumps - the drainage system that protects the low-lying city.
• The sustainable gallery - displays on Singapore's water supply and the barrage's work.

When to go

Year round; late afternoon and evening are the best for kites and the light. Weekends fill the roof. Lightning closes the roof frequently.

Before you go

The roof closes for lightning, which is common, and the warnings are enforced. It is a walk from the nearest MRT with no shade. The gallery is aimed at school groups.

Nearby

Gardens by the Bay is north, and Marina Bay Sands is beyond it.

Key facts