There appears to be a popular fishing spot on each side of this bridge. There is a small parking area on the east side of the road. Each time I have visited this bridge, I have seen people fishing. The locals tell me that river has a series of wide slow spots with a lot of underwater vegetation that are perfect hiding places for large fish.
The small town of Gordon is an exciting place for bridges over the Saint Croix River. In a matter of a few hundred feet, there is the active Wisconsin Central Railroad Bridge, plus a former railroad bridge now used as a state trail, this old US-53 bridge, and the twin spans of the current US-53 expressway. That is the largest density of bridges over the Saint Croix River of any spot along its path.
The photo above is a profile view of the Gate Road Bridge looking to the west from the nearby Wild Rivers Trail bridge, located just upstream from this structure. The photo below is looking north down the length of the bridge deck from the center of the highway.