The Sungei Road flea market, which began as a small trading spot along the river in the mid-1930s, will become history on July 10 - its last day. The space - the last free hawking zone in Singapore - will make way for future residential developments, the authorities said in a statement yesterday. The Straits Times understands that roads in the area may be realigned as well. News of the closure has disappointed some in the heritage community and netizens, as around 200 vendors have not been provided with an alternative site. In 2011, the Sungei Road site was reduced to half its size to make way for the construction of the new Jalan Besar MRT station.

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