Keokuk Rail Bridge - Keokuk, IA
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 40° 23.545 W 091° 22.699
15T E 637633 N 4472575
Upper deck closed when the new Keokuk-Hamilton Bridge was built to carry US 136
Waymark Code: WMNK82
Location: Iowa, United States
Date Posted: 03/27/2015
Views: 1
County of bridge: Lee County
Location of bridge: 1st St., old hwy, Keokuk
Bridge for rail service still operating, upper deck has been converted into an observation deck and is part of Gateway park, in the cityies park systems
"Former Keokuk Junction Railway general manager Rich Taylor has a vision for the Keokuk Municipal Bridge, which still provides rail service.
In short, Taylor's vision is this: Privatize the bridge and take advantage of its tourism potential.
Taylor presented his proposal to Mayor David Gudgel and the Keokuk City Council at the end of Thursday's workshop. Although neither Gudgel nor council members expressed support or opposition to the plan, the mayor called Taylor's concept “quite thought provoking.”
In addition to privatizing the bridge, the key components of Taylor's vision are:
Planking over the bridge to the Illinois shore of the Mississippi River.
Acquiring the old depot and linking the bridge and depot with a trolley car and incorporating tourism efforts. Taylor claimed the depot and four tracks in front of it actually are located on city property.
Marketing a self-propelled diner to tourism buses. A restaurant would bring a hot table of food to the trolley, and the meal would be served buffet style while the trolley was on the bridge. The trolley would return to the depot where the dishes and other food service items would be returned to the restaurant. Then the people could go on tours of the Tri-State Area." ~ The Daily Gate City, Keokuk, Iowa,
Great photos and story about the bridge presented by John Weeks