Long Grove officials approve agreement that helps get historic bridge repair started

Feb. 15--Long Grove officials are hoping by fall the historic Robert Coffin Parker Road bridge leading to the downtown commercial district will be fully restored, after a delivery truck severely damaged the structure's covering in summer 2018.

On Tuesday, village trustees voted 6-0 to approve an agreement for $54,000 with Naperville-based engineering firm ESI to prepare contractor bid specifications to replace the bridge's timber covering.

A mere 16 days after gaining designation as a federal historic landmark, a food delivery box truck plowed into the bridge on June 27.

According to Lake County authorities, the crash happened shortly before 4 p.m. when the driver of the rented truck failed to come to a complete stop before attempting to cross the bridge over Buffalo Creek -- despite warning signs that forbid large trucks and buses from passing through it .

The truck was traveling east on Robert Parker Coffin Road when the top of it struck the cover of the one-lane bridge, causing extensive damage. No one was injured in the crash, officials reported.

The driver, Eriberto Orozco, 30, of the 3500 block of North Lowell Avenue in Chicago, was cited for disobeying a stop sign and traffic control device, driving an overweight vehicle on the bridge and failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash.

The truck was empty but weighed 15,000 pounds, exceeding the weight limit of the bridge. Vehicles roughly weighing less than 6,000 pounds, or three tons, are allowed to pass through the one-lane bridge, officials said.

More than two months later, in mid-September, the bridge re-opened to motorists and pedestrians, but minus its signature cover.

In January, village trustees passed a resolution to pay ESI $41,000 to restore the bridges underneath support abutments and surface decking.

Jacob explained village officials decided to restore the abutments while the bridge cover was off, since they could possibly need work in future years.

"It's making a good situation out of a bad one," he said, adding the structure is more than 100 years old.

John Konstantaras/Chicago Tribune

Long Grove trustees have approved an agreement that marks the early stages of getting the Robert Parker Road bridge repaired.

Long Grove trustees have approved an agreement that marks the early stages of getting the Robert Parker Road bridge repaired. (John Konstantaras/Chicago Tribune)

The Joliet Bridge and Iron Company originally built the structure in 1906, and it has attracted the attention of preservationists since then mainly for the design of its iron structure and trusses, according to the Long Grove Historical Society.

Hartford Insurance agreed to pay $235,000 to remove the damaged cover and repair the historic span, Jacob said.

In addition, Jacob said the village has applied for a $250,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for bridge restoration.

He further estimated with the grant and insurance payment, the village could still pay more than $500,000 to fully restore the bridge.

"So, after we get the bids back, we will have a better handle on what it will cost," he said.

Jacob also was unsure of how long the restoration plans will take, but repeated the goal is opening the span before fall.

"So, after we get the bids back, we will have a better handle on what it will cost," he said.

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