Orchard Road just got brighter

It is already one of Singapore's most visited attractions and soon, it will be even more compelling as a tourist draw.

Last month, a new lighting experience was unveiled at Bideford Junction. The new lighting cum crosswalk experience at Bideford Junction is the first project to be launched under the lighting masterplan for the city centre.

The move is part of a greater scheme to transform Orchard Road into one of the world's greatest shopping streets, one feature being giant events stage offering compelling lifestyle experiences.

Bideford Junction is a major junction crossing at Orchard and Bideford Roads, framed by Ngee Ann City, Paragon, Crown Hotel At Orchard and Meritus Mandarin Singapore.

Behind the new lighting experience are the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), jointly with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the National Parks Board (NParks).

Using a range of state-of-the-art versatile and high performance light fixtures as well as image projectors and colour-changing washlights, the lights display will showcase four themes: A Garden City, Aurora, Walking on Water and Starry Night Sky.

The rejuvenation of Orchard Road will help meet STB's targets to attract 17 million visitors and S$30 billion in tourism receipts by 2015.

Ranked the most-visited attraction in Singapore in 2004 in the STB's annual Overseas Visitors Survey (receiving seven in 10 visitors), the two-kilometer stretch of Orchard Road attracts about six million visitors each year, while thousands of local residents visit the area for leisure and work each day.