Lewistown, IL – A private campaign is underway in Fulton County to repair one of the county's tourist attraction bridges.
County Engineer Bill Kuhn says the 1905-era steel truss bridge over the Spoon River at Bernadotte has been closed to vehicles for years.
Recently it was closed to foot traffic as well.
Kuhn says the fundraising goal is $60,000. Half of that will go to new planking for the bridge deck. The other half would go to repairs on the bridge foundations on either bank.
The foundations were built for a covered bridge which was in place before the steel truss bridge was built.
Kuhn says he'd like to get the bridge open to tourists again. Bernadotte has a dam and a small cafe. It's one of the popular stopping places on the Spoon River Scenic Drive.
However, he says there's no money in the county budget for repair of a bridge that does not carry vehicular traffic.