July 7, 2013: A pickup crosses the Lincoln Highway bridge on the east end of Tama. Modern-day vehicles are one thing but a worse issue for the 103-year-old bridge is full-size semis using it on a truck route.
A century-plus after the iconic Lincoln Highway bridge was built in Tama, 87 years after US 30 was rerouted away from it, and 30 years after a major rehab project on the bridge, it is in trouble once again.
The state has suggested removing and replacing the bridge, something preservationists hope to avoid, KCRG reports.
There’s not an easy solution. Ideally, a way can be found to keep the bridge intact and in use. But unless Fifth Street is closed to truck traffic, it’s going to be hard to keep it in place. If, IF, there would be a way to remove the sides of the bridge (the most important part obviously) intact, I can see that as an option, but relocation could be as tough a task as finding a way to leave it in place.