Tanjong Rhu PCN to Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant

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Today I am going to write about my walk from Kallang Sports Hub through the Tanjong Rhu PCN to Bay East Garden at Marina South and then moving over to the new Keppel Marina East Desalination Plan and then how to finally get you back to Kallang Sports Hub again 🙂

Quite a walk to me, the old man !

This picture shows the rough route I took on this day in April.

Tanjong Rhu PCN to Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant

In my previous blog post on Singapore’s Park Connector Network (PCN), I wrote about how I reached from Bishan to Sports Hub. Read it if you have not done so yet 🙂

So this blog post is about from Sports Hub and back !

How to Park near to Tanjong Rhu PCN

As usual, this is important to me personally so here’s where I parked. I parked at the carpark right next to the Kallang Leisure Mall and it is a big open air car park and you can basically choose what your favourite lot is 🙂

Tanjong Rhu PCN to Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant

From there it is a very short walk through the grounds of the Singapore Indoor Stadium to reach the starting point of the PCN.

That is, the Tanjong Rhu Suspension Bridge.

Tanjong Rhu Suspension Bridge at Tanjong Rhu PCN
Tanjong Rhu Suspension Bridge

And after crossing the bridge, you will see the Tanjong Rhu Lookout Tower.

People as old as me probably remember this place where there was actually a restaurant (or cafe) at this tower and it is a very romantic place for couples to have a meal. God knows how many times I bring girls here :). But that was my time, decades ago. No more today 🙂

Tanjong Rhu Lookout Tower
Tanjong Rhu Lookout Tower

Look at the beautiful view as you crosses the Tanjong Rhu Suspension Bridge in the early morning…..

Tanjong Rhu PCN to Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant

Tanjong Rhu PCN

Actually the Tanjong Rhu Park Connector itself is pretty short. According to the PCN web site, it is only 2 km long. That’s probably one of the shortest PCN in Singapore. You can see that from these photos of the PCN network map.

But it is the gateway for us to reach the wonderful Bay East Garden. Which itself gives us a superb view of the city skyline. And many photo opportunities. Sometimes I wonder if I hike to take photos only….

Tanjong Rhu PCN Map
Tanjong Rhu PCN Map
Tanjong Rhu PCN Map
Tanjong Rhu PCN Map

It is just a loop along the Marina Reservoir, and a walk along the many condos in this area.

Like this one Pebble Bay Condo, which is basking in the early sunlight. Beautiful, isn’t it.

Pebble Bay Condo
Pebble Bay Condo

And as you walk the loop, look to the right for the stunning Singapore Indoor Stadium and even more stunning new National Stadium. Our national icon. Side by Side. How many wonderful concerts were heard at this indoor stadium, including my all time favourite Jacky Cheung.

On the other hand, I have watched many soccer matches at the old National Kallang Stadium. Not this new one 🙂

Singapore Indoor Stadium and National Stadium
Singapore Indoor Stadium and National Stadium

One more condo … Costa Rhu Condo…. which is nothing unique… except…

Costa Rhu Condo
Costa Rhu Condo

The stunning view this condo’s residents have, every day and night. WOW !!

View from Costa Rhu Condo
View from Costa Rhu Condo

And by now, you have reached the end of Tanjong Rhu PCN. End of this blog post 🙂

End of Tanjong Rhu PCN
End of Tanjong Rhu PCN
Or the Start of Tanjong Rhu PCN....
Or the Start of Tanjong Rhu PCN….

No.. we are carrying on…. We are now going to go under the ECP (East Coast Expressway) to reach the Bay East Garden !

Very Convenient indeed.

Tanjong Rhu PCN to Bay East Garden

Tanjong Rhu PCN to Bay East Garden
Tanjong Rhu PCN to Bay East Garden

So we are walking through the Gardens by the Bay : Bay East Garden. This is on the opposite side of the Marina Bay from the Gardens by the Bay (and Marina Bay Sands etc). Which gives you an even more amazing view of the Singapore Skyline. My country. Our country. Singapore !

Blue Line is our walk along the Bay East Garden
Blue Line is our walk along the Bay East Garden

Some skyline photos taken along my walk along the Bay East Garden

Bay East Garden
Bay East Garden
View from Bay East Garden
View from Bay East Garden
View from Bay East Garden
View from Bay East Garden

And as you walk towards the end of the Bay East Garden, you will see the Marina Bridge. Which you can cross over to reach the Marina Barrage. A lot of people’s favourite weekend hangout place.

Marina Bridge for the Marina Barrage
Marina Bridge for the Marina Barrage

But we are not going to do that today 🙂 Instead we are going to make a walk to the new Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant.

But then nothing stops you from making a short stop at the Marina Bridge. For more photos.

Marina Bridge
Marina Bridge

Wow. interesting 🙂

Tanjong Rhu PCN to Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant

At the each section of the bridge, there are lookout points to look at the view.

Such as this.

View from Marina Bridge
View from Marina Bridge

Anyway, you can now go back to the original route 🙂

You will see this signboard.

Bay East Garden
Bay East Garden

We are going to cut across the Bay East Garden to reach a road called Marina East Drive. Note that this is a ROAD (and with many construction going on) so it is NOT part of the PCN. It is also quite hot and dusty (with very little trees) and also the road has many construction vehicles coming and going. Be careful. We want a walk. For health reasons. Not to die 🙂

So please be careful 🙂

Also notice that the now infamous Breakwater @ Marina East, also known locally as Pulau Ujong, is nearby too 🙂 And why is it called Pulau Ujong is really beyond me….

Breakwater @ Marina East, also known locally as Pulau Ujong
Breakwater @ Marina East, also known locally as Pulau Ujong

We will walk along the road to reach the next destination, the Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant

Tanjong Rhu PCN to Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant
Walking from Marina East Park to Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant

From Marina Barrage to Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant

Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant (it has a website with no SSL : http://www.kepinfra.com/kmedp/) is the only one in the Republic capable of treating both sea and reservoir water, and is part of our efforts to ensure that taps never go dry, rain or shine. It also feature a lush green rooftop for community recreation. And the subject of our visit today.

The web site above (http://www.kepinfra.com/kmedp/) contains many useful FAQ, including instructions on how to reach the plant (no.. u cannot drive to it. The nearest car park is Fort Road Car Park, about 1.5 km….).

Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant
Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant

Do spend some time to understand the workings of this plant. It is quite fantastic.

Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant
Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant

And the fun part of the plant is the roof top garden. I spent quite sometime there. It was very quiet (I guess it was a weekday and in the middle of our Covid lock down). And hence I could even sit down (this is the middle of a long walk !) to mediate quietly and then simply enjoy the breeze. And the peace. And the tranquility. And the badly needed break from the long walk 🙂

Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant Roof Top Garden
Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant Roof Top Garden
Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant Roof Top Garden
Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant Roof Top Garden

Distance of walk from Tanjong Rhu PCN to Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant

At this point, the distance of walk from Tanjong Rhu PCN to Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant is about 6.39km.

Tanjong Rhu PCN to Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant

It took me about 1.5 hours to do so.

Walking from Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant back to Kallang Stadium

Now there’s the very small issue of walking from Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant back to our car park at Kallang Leisure Mall 🙂

As stated in the web site of Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant,  the nearest carpark is the Fort Road carpark about 1.5km away.

“From the Fort Road carpark, it is a 15-minute walk along the Park Connector Network to reach KMEDP”

http://www.kepinfra.com/kmedp/

So we are now moving to the East Coast Park Connector !! Which I also intend to cover over the next few blog posts as I used the East Coast Park Connector to go to Siglap Park Connector and Bedok Park Connector.

East Coast Park Connector
East Coast Park Connector

So we walking from Point A on the map to the first car park (known as the fort road carpark). It is a straight and direct walk but from the car park (do not go up the bridge along the East Coast PCN), we have to make a difficult (and dangerous) traffic defying walk to Fort Road and then along Tanjong Rhu road back to Kallang and backt to our car.

Something like this.

Tanjong Rhu PCN to Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant
Walking from Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant back to Kallang Stadium

At least I can claimed that I have also now walked part of the East Coast PCN 🙂

Along the way, you can see the pretty Waterside Condo.. amazing white painting against the blue sky.

Tanjong Rhu PCN to Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant
Waterside Condo

And maybe drop by to the Meyerhouse condo showroom if u are very rich 🙂

Tanjong Rhu PCN to Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant

But best of all, as you cross the bridge to reach the Kallang Stadium, you can see the quiet and clean Geylang River. On the right hand side of this photo below, the right path in this picture is the Geylang Park Connector. Yes, yet another Park Connector. There are so many to walk. I need time !!

Geylang River and Geylang Park Connector
Geylang River and Geylang Park Connector

Distance from Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant back to Kallang Stadium

The total distance is 2.82 km.

Walking from Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant back to Kallang Stadium
Walking from Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant back to Kallang Stadium

So that will bring you back to your car, parked at the Kallang Leisure Mall !

The next PCN I am going to walk is the Siglap PCN ! Will share the blog post !

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