It is named after Benjamin Sheares, the second President of Singapore, who died four months before the bridge was opened to the public on 26 September 1981.

[2] The bridge is part of the East Coast Parkway (ECP), at the western end of the expressway.

The Benjamin Sheares Bridge crosses over the Marina Reservoir, along the southern coast of mainland Singapore.

The East Coast Parkway (ECP) was first conceptualised in 1969 to reduce traffic at Golden Mile.

The plans included the Benjamin Sheares Bridge, which was designed to be high-capacity bypass to the central area as well as to reduce congestion in Newton, Scotts, Paterson, and Outram roads during peak hour.