[3][4] In 1927, a contract was awarded to replace the wooden bridge spanning the Kedayan River with a 360-foot (110 m) reinforced concrete structure, which was more than halfway completed by the end of the year.

[5] In May 1929, Sir Hugh Clifford and his wife made their first visit to Brunei, where they officially inaugurated the newly completed bridge, finished just days before their arrival.

Named in his honour, the Clifford Bridge[a] was formally opened during a ceremony on Empire Day, marking a significant milestone in Brunei's infrastructure development.

As they passed the bridge, about 5,000 people gathered to bid them farewell, with schoolchildren from various ethnic groups, including Chinese and Malay, lining the road for miles, waving and wishing them well.

[1] Since the inauguration of Taman Mahkota Jubli Emas in 2017, it has become part of a trio of the city's most renowned landmarks, alongside the nearby Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque and Istana Darussalam.