Ponte de Linhares Causeway

To the east of Panaji, a long, thin stretch of road goes towards Ribandar. This three-kilometer stretch runs along the flood plains of Mandovi River and is surrounded by several salt pans.

Built under the direction of the then Portuguese Viceroy Miguel de Noronha, the fourth Count of Linhares, the causeway was named after him. The full name is Ponte Conde de Linhares, popularly known as Ponte de Linhares.

The causeway was originally built for horse carriages and was later repurposed to carry vehicular traffic. It is said that the original structure of the bridge was designed and built by the Jesuits of the College of St. Paul in Old Goa.

Built several centuries ago, this bridge is an engineering marvel. It is said that much of this bridge was built within a year. Recently, to prevent soil erosion near the bridge, mangrove trees were planted along the southern bank of the river.