Bay South to Bay East Bridge: The Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade Diversion That Started 4 May 2026
From 4 May 2026, the Waterfront Promenade at Gardens by the Bay has been restricted to facilitate construction of the bridge linking Bay South Garden and Bay East Garden. The official Gardens by the Bay advisory, carried on the whats-on banner on the site, is unambiguous: there is no access for cyclists along the Waterfront Promenade from that date, pedestrians may still access the promenade with a slight diversion, and cyclists heading towards Marina Barrage are advised to take an alternative route around the perimeter of Bay South Garden. For anyone visiting Marina Bay and the Gardens on foot or on a bike, this changes a familiar waterfront connector that many people use as a scenic route between the Supertree Grove, the Marina Barrage and Bay East Garden.
The bridge itself is a real piece of new infrastructure, not just a maintenance closure. When complete, the Bay South to Bay East bridge will let visitors walk from Bay South Garden to Bay East Garden across the Marina Basin on a dedicated new crossing, replacing the current indirect route that runs through the Marina Barrage. Construction began in Q2 2026, and the official Gardens by the Bay Instagram and project information have indicated a 2028 completion. The current diversion is the construction-phase workaround while that work is underway.
What is restricted and what is not
The restriction is specifically on cyclists along the Waterfront Promenade. The advisory text on the Gardens by the Bay whats-on page is clear that pedestrians still have access, with a "slight diversion to their route". In practice, this means the promenade itself remains open for walking, but a section of it is re-routed around the construction hoarding for the bridge abutments. The official diversion map, downloadable from the Gardens by the Bay site, shows the precise pedestrian path through the construction zone.
For cyclists, the change is more significant. The Waterfront Promenade is a section of the wider park connector network, and a lot of casual riders, families with children on small bikes, delivery riders and tourists on rental bikes use it as a scenic connector toward Marina Barrage. From 4 May 2026, the official instruction is to use the alternative route around the perimeter of Bay South Garden. That is a longer route, and it goes through the busier perimeter roads rather than along the water, so it is a different kind of ride. The official Gardens by the Bay advisory says cyclists should not expect access along the Waterfront Promenade for the duration of the bridge construction.
The Far East Organization Children's Garden entrance change
A separate but related advisory on the same Gardens by the Bay whats-on page concerns the Far East Organization Children's Garden entrance. From 26 March 2026, the current entrance along the Waterfront Promenade is closed in anticipation of the bridge works, and visitors are asked to use the new entrance near the Sun Pavilion. This is a parallel change to the cycling diversion, and it matters specifically for families because the Children's Garden is one of the most visited parts of the Gardens for parents with young children, and the entrance change is on the same side of the Gardens as the promenade restriction.
For families combining a Children's Garden visit with a cycle, a Marina Barrage picnic or a Flower Dome visit, the practical advice is to build both changes into the same plan. The Children's Garden involves water-play gear, snacks, and a fixed nap-time window for most families, so arriving at the wrong entrance with tired children and a diverted route is a meaningful disruption. The smoother visit is the one that starts from the correct side of the Gardens near the Sun Pavilion, with the diversion map checked before leaving home.
How to plan a ride or a walk around the diversion
The cleanest approach for cyclists is to treat the route as changed before setting off, rather than improvising at the construction hoarding. The official diversion map on the Gardens by the Bay site shows the perimeter route around Bay South Garden that cyclists heading to Marina Barrage are advised to take. For group rides, naming the detour in the group chat before everyone starts avoids the situation where some riders take the old route, hit the hoarding, and have to turn back. For solo rides, slowing down earlier than usual is worth doing, because pedestrians are reading the same signs at the same time and the merging of pedestrian and diverted cyclist flows near the construction zone is the most common source of friction.
For pedestrians, the diversion is shorter and less disruptive. The promenade remains open, the route is just slightly re-routed around the bridge construction zone. Allow a little extra time, especially if you are meeting someone at Marina Barrage or moving between the Supertree Grove, the Flower Dome and Bay East Garden. Families with prams, seniors, wheelchair users and visitors unfamiliar with the Gardens should follow the on-site signs rather than assuming the old direct path is open exactly as before. The Gardens by the Bay whats-on page carries the live advisory, and the diversion map is the authoritative source for the current route.
What the bridge will eventually deliver
The reason for the disruption is a genuine upgrade. The Bay South to Bay East bridge, when it opens in 2028, will give visitors a direct walking and cycling route across the Marina Basin between the two halves of Gardens by the Bay. At present, the only ways across the basin are the Marina Barrage at the eastern end, or the long way round via the Helix Bridge and the Marina Bay waterfront. A dedicated bridge cuts that journey significantly and makes Bay East Garden, which is quieter and less visited than Bay South, more accessible as a destination in its own right rather than a detour.
For now, the diversion is the cost of that future benefit. The construction zone is on the Bay South side of the basin, and the hoarding is in place for the duration of the works. The Gardens by the Bay advisory is the source of truth for the current status, and the whats-on banner on the site is being updated as the works progress. The May 2026 start date is now well past, so the diversion has been in place for over two months as of mid-July, and the on-site flow is bedded in. The diversion map is the document to check before you go.
Practical Details
- Start date: 4 May 2026 (ongoing through construction; bridge projected to open in 2028)
- Venue: Waterfront Promenade, Gardens by the Bay (Bay South Garden side), 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953
- Nearest MRT: Bayfront MRT (CE1/DT16), Exit B for Gardens by the Bay
- Cyclists: No access along the Waterfront Promenade; use the alternative route around the perimeter of Bay South Garden toward Marina Barrage
- Pedestrians: Promenade remains open with a slight diversion around the construction zone
- Related change: Far East Organization Children's Garden entrance moved to near the Sun Pavilion from 26 March 2026
- Official diversion map: Downloadable from the Gardens by the Bay whats-on advisory page
- Price: Free advisory; outdoor gardens access remains free
- Website: Gardens by the Bay Whats On; Bay East Garden advisory