Team Herald
PANJIM: The first threat to the Ribandar causeway was noticed in 1980, claim locals, and say that even over 35 years later, the State government is still dragging its feet on any permanent repairs.
Uttam Parsekar, Principal Chief Engineer of Public Works Department (PWD), said there is no proposal with the department for any repairs to the causeway. However, a few days ago, PWD Minister Ramkrishna Dhavalikar, had said that the causeway would be completely stopped for vehicular movement.
A PWD official said that the condition of the causeway was reviewed at a meeting where it was resolved to take up repairs. He said repairs are needed and PWD will inspect the causeway and finalise the work. The bridge had been damaged due to continuous tidal motion in 2011 and 2014 and to prevent it from further damage, PWD had initiated the construction of a protective wall. Earlier, in 1980, Forest Department had planted mangrove trees on the banks of the river to prevent erosion of the bridge. PWD has also taken up repair work a number of times.
To decrease the load on the bridge, PWD has diverted heavy vehicle movement from Panjim to Old Goa to the Kadamba road and imposed speed restrictions to slow down vehicles.
The bridge, which was believed to have been the longest in the world when it was built in 1664, is 3.2 km long and connects Ribandar to Panjim and was built to handle horse drawn carriages but has survived centuries to handle the load of heavy motor vehicles.
The bridge was built on alluvial soil and stabilised with the trunk of iliadola briformis, a tree called Benth, locally known as zambo. Laterite stone was used in the construction of the bridge superstructure.
The causeway is supported by three arches on the eastern side, while thirty-eight arches support it on the western side.
