Punggol Waterway | Punggol Promenade

It was a gloomy and cloudy day with constant light rain throughout our walk. We were in high spirits as our group had swollen to 9 that day as all could make it for the walk and with the addition of a new member PC. It was strange that the 'initiation' (though uncalled for) of a new member seemed to involve wearing long pants on his first walk while the rest wore shorts.

Jewel Bridge

Route
We immediately commenced our walk after alighting from the bus at the Punggol Interchange. We started the walk with one arm stretched out with our brollies unfolded to receive the blessings from the sky. The aim was to recce the Punggol Waterway from the Punggol Reservoir in the west to the Serangoon Reservoir in the east, then turn left at the Horseshoe Bridge to the north and walk on along the Punggol Promenade to Punggol Point covering about 10km.

Adventure Bridge

Punggol Waterway
At the bridge on Punggol Walk, the bridge with the leaning semicircle, we clambered down the slope toward the park connector below to begin our walk toward the western part of the Waterway. At the western end of the Waterway was the Jewel Bridge. From here one could see the Punggol Dam and the Punggol Marina is next to it. This bridge is also part of the Punggol Park Connector which runs along the Punggol Reservoir. Using the Jewel Bridge we crossed the Waterway to head back toward the eastern part of Punggol. After passing under the LRT line, there was a boardwalk (Watersports Promenade) that extended over the Waterway. This provided visitors a closer perspective of the Waterway. Opposite this was a small viewing platform that jutted out from the hillside. Its roof resembled a Minangkabau house with its front end jutting high into the sky. After this we came past the Kelong Bridge as its pillars reminded us of the kelong stakes driven into the sea.

Watersports Promenade

We started our walk at 11am hoping to find some F&B outlets along the track. But there was none. Luckily we remembered from an earlier walk that there was a coffee-shop on Punggol Road so when the track was about to cross Punggol Road (just after the Kelong Bridge) we headed for this place which was just about 600m away on the right at Block 301. By this time, we were ravenously hungry but some members were so absorbed in the walk that they forgot that we had not eaten. Finally we had a satisfying lunch while the sky was pouring outside. We resisted the temptation to have a beer despite a suggestion from P as we needed all our senses to enjoy our first visit to the Punggol Waterway and the Punggol Promenade.

Horseshoe Bridge

After lunch we returned to the Kelong Bridge next to Punggol Road and continued our walk along the Punggol Waterway. The tracks on both sides of the Waterway were finished save for some finishing touches. Several cyclists passed us so we were confident that the rest of the tracks were ready. Along the canal were rain shelters and rest stops and plants with the environment landscaped to give a natural look. The newly planted trees did not provide any shade. At the eastern end was the so-called Horseshoe Bridge because of its shape. This was tastefully designed to provide a gentle curve and also allow bikes to be pushed up. When you lookout from the bridge you could see from the left the Serangoon East Dam, in front the Lorong Halus Wetland Park and on the right the bridge leading to Lorong Halus Wetland Park from the Punggol Promenade.

Punggol Promenade

Punggol Promenade
After a short rest at the Horseshoe Bridge, we moved on to the dirt track made of red laterite. It is a better surface than the railway track (before the removal of the rails) but when it's wet your shoes and bike tyres will be dirty. Other than that the walk here was easy going with trees on the left and the Serangoon Reservoir on the right. There was also a dirt track that parallel the Punggol Promenade. We walked nearer the dam and then followed the coast opposite Coney (Pulau Serangoon) Island. The walk throughout was on level ground so nothing strenuous. From the Horseshoe Bridge to Punggol Point was about 3.5km to which we eventually reach by about 4pm a most enjoyable walk with the light drizzle and excellent camaraderie from the group. After boarding the bus for home we informed PC that he was now a full member of the group and could wear shorts on the next outing.

Arriving at Punggol Point

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