It wasn't even a gate. That metal barrier is just like the one at the north end of the bridge. They are meant to keep someone from trying to drive a large vehicle over the bridge. But a person could walk around them easily.I’m not second guessing their decisions. There has just been a lot of talk about how they were cornered and based on Jethro post they weren’t necessarily. There wasn’t a wall at the end of the bridge just a gate.
The most important thing about the second picture is that the sign says beware or dog. It is quite possible that the closest house to the bridge (not the one at the end of the road) has a guard dog or at least a dog that would be trouble but it could also be a sign that is a bluff and there is no dog.