Kota Bridge — Attraction in Klang Municipal Council

Built in the late ’50s by the same people who did the Sydney Harbour Bridge, it was Malaysia’s first double-decker bridge, with cars rumbling above and pedestrians and bicycles shuffling below. Today, the top deck is retired, stripped of its cars and reborn as a public square. Down below, motorcycles, bicycles, and anyone brave enough to walk across still make use of it.

The Japanese bombed the old Belfield Bridge in World War II, and Klang had to make do with makeshift crossings until London sent its Crown Agents over to dream up this steel giant. It opened in 1961 with the Sultan’s signature. Then came the ’90s: more traffic, more concrete, and newer bridges that made Kota look like the old uncle of the gang. Part of it was even cut off to make room for its shinier neighbour.

Visiting now, the Klang River is still more eau de sewage than Sauvage. Walking from town can be a challenge, so if you’re not into breathing in exhaust fumes, come by car. There’s parking near the padang. You know you’re close when you see Kika Cafe nearby, arguably a bigger attraction than the bridge itself. The view of the river is decent, especially if you squint past the overhead train tracks. At night, when the lights come on, the river pretends to be romantic.

Some say the place needs more love, more attention, more effort to scrub it up. They’re not wrong. But Kota Bridge stands stubborn, a backdrop for films and commercials and maybe, someday, a national heritage site. Smelly river and all, this is Klang. Take it...

A bridge, the Belfield Bridge, originally served the town of Klang, but was bombed during the Japanese invasion in the Second World War. After the war, three bridges were used temporarily to cross the river as the Belfield Bridge could not be repaired. In 1951, Crown Agents were sent from London to study the feasibility of constructing a new permanent bridge over the Klang River, from which the idea of a double-decked bridge emerged. The bridge was constructed between 1958 and 1960 and it was a reinforced steel truss girder bridge. It was constructed by Dorman Long Engineering Limited, the company that was also responsible for building the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932, with piling works by Gammon Messrs (Malaya) Ltd. Its cost was estimated to be...

Looks like any other Malaysian/Bangkok river. Needs more attention to make this bridge looking better. I have watched a documentary by CNA (Singapore) about The Ocean Cleanup and Malaysian Government putting an effort into cleaning up the Klang River which can be seen in the photo is quite dirty. There are interceptors on the river to clean up all the rubbish flowing to the sea. Hopefully, the people in Malaysia will be more aware of the human activities that causes the destruction to our environment and put more effort in preventing the rubbish getting into our...