It is the only suspension bridge in Singapore linking Raffles Place to the Civic District.
The bridge was named after Major-General William Orfeur Cavenagh, Governor of Singapore (1859-1867).

Cavenagh Bridge was designed by John Thomson, manufactured in Scotland in 1868 and later assembled in Singapore in 1869. Unfortunately, the bridge was built too low and boats entering the Singapore River had to wait for low tide before they could pass under the bridge.

In 1910, after Anderson Bridge was built, Cavenagh Bridge was reserved solely for pedestrian use.

It is the oldest bridge and is still standing in its original form across the Singapore River.