YEARS ago there used to be a TV ad that encouraged us all to “bridge that gap with a Cadbury’s snack”. Well, in Kansas City, they’re taking that to extremes – by building an entire restaurant complex on a bridge.

Opening this summer, Rock Island Bridge, which used to carry freight and livestock on the iconic rail line of the same name, will be suspended 40 feet about the Kansas River, and is being billed as an entire entertainment attraction.

The 1905 railroad bridge will offer not only food and drink but also live music, pop-up shops and art fairs, farmers markets, and outdoor adventure including hiking and biking trails, kayaking and canoeing. All based on, or under the bridge.

The bridge has two main spans and a smaller one on the east side, and there was a lifting system to allow it to be lifted during floods. It was used until 1972, when the Kansas City Stockyards closed, and Rock Island abandoned the line to the bridge later that year.

Speaking of the Rock Island Line, this is my all-time favourite version of the song of the same name, on which skiffle king Lonnie Donegan brought in rock guitar hero Rory Gallagher in 1978 to power that train full steam ahead…

For holiday and travel tips on Kansas City and its attractions, see the city’s official tourism website.