The Merdeka Bridge crosses over the Kallang Basin at the mouths of the Kallang River and Rochor River. Initially conceived as the "Kallang Bridge", the Merdeka Bridge was considered as a symbol of Singapore's aspiration for independence in the 1950s. A pair of stone lions called the "Merdeka Lions" once stood at each end of the bridge from 1956 to 1966. These lion statues are now standing at the SAFTI Military Institute.
