The Ponte Conde de Linhares ( en, Count of Linhares Bridge), often shortened to Ponte de Linhares is a long causeway connecting

Ribandar Ribandar is a town in Tiswadi, Goa, located between the cities of Panjim (Nova Goa) and Old Goa (Velha Goa). Etymology The name Ribandar originates from "Rayachem Bandar" in Konkani meaning the wharves, docks or portage of the ''Rayas'' or ...

to the main city of Panjim (now Panaji) in

Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...

, India. It runs along the flood plains of the

Mandovi River The Mahadayi/Mandovi River (''Mandovi'', pronounced ), also known as Mahadayi or Mhadei river, is described as the lifeline of the Indian state of Goa. The Mandovi and the Zuari are the two primary rivers in the state of Goa. Mandovi joins wi ...

and is surrounded by various salt pans. There are ducts which act as

tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tables ...

controls. The Ponte Conde de Linhares was built in 1633–34 under the direction of the then Viceroy of Portuguese India,

Miguel de Noronha, 4th Count of Linhares Miguel de Noronha, 4th Count of Linhares (1585 – Madrid, 1647) was a Portuguese noble and military, loyal to King Philip III of Portugal (Philip IV of Spain). He became 4th Count of Linhares when his cousin in the third degree, Dom Fernan ...

, after whom it is named. The bridge is often said to have been the longest in the world at when it was completed in 1634. The 2014 edition of the Panaji Carnival started at Ribandar-Merces Junction on the causeway.

Construction

The original structure of the bridge was designed and built by the

Jesuits , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders = ...

of the College of St. Paul in

Old Goa Old Goa ( Konkani: ; pt, Velha Goa, translation='Old Goa') is a historical site and city situated on the southern banks of the River Mandovi, within the Tiswadi ''taluka'' (''Ilhas'') of North Goa district, in the Indian state of Goa. Th ...

. It was built on alluvial soil and stabilised with the trunk of the ''iliadola briformis'', a tree called Benth, locally known as Zambo. Laterite stone was used in the construction of the bridge superstructure. It was built to handle the load of horse drawn carriages of its time but has handled the load of heavy motor vehicles since then. The causeway is supported by three arches on the eastern side, while thirty-eight arches support it on the western side. It was built at a cost of £3,333. A local tradition states that the bridge was built by the Jesuits in a single night using the light of a single lamp. On 22 June 1634, the bridge, as well as the surrounding land was handed over to the ''municipal chamber'' of the city for its maintenance and upkeep.

Damage

In 1980s, planting of

Mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evolution in severa ...

trees on the southern bank of the river was undertaken by the forestry department to prevent erosion of the bridge. The bridge had been damaged due to continuous tidal motion in 2011 and 2014. To prevent it from further damage, construction of a protective wall was initiated by the Goa Public Works Department. In order to prevent further damage, the Public Works Department diverted the movement of heavy vehicles from Panaji to Old Goa. Speed restrictions were imposed to slow down vehicles, with plans to further enforce them with the installation of

traffic camera A traffic camera is a video camera which observes vehicular traffic on a road. Typically, traffic cameras are put along major roads such as highways, freeways, expressways and arterial roads, and are connected by optical fibers buried alongside or ...

Tourism

In 2014, the

Government of Goa The Government of Goa is a state government created by the Constitution of India and has executive, legislative and judicial authority of the state of Goa. It is headquartered in Panaji, the capital city of Goa. History The governor's role ...

proposed to build a parallel bridge for traffic and add attractions such as food stalls and toy trains for tourists on the existing structure. The state government sought funds from the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

to beautify the causeway as well as put up a proposal for a bridge parallel to the causeway which could be used as a marina.

References

External links

Information on the Ponte Conde de Linhares
{{in lang, pt
A blog about Ponte Conde de Linhares
Bridges in Goa Bridges completed in 1634 1634 establishments in Portuguese India Buildings and structures in North Goa district Transport in Panaji