Truck plows through Long Grove covered bridge days after it was designated historic landmark
A day later, the wreckage left many business owners and area residents in disbelief and wondering what would become of an historic structure that has come to symbolize a village known for its quaint charm.
Village officials, meanwhile, said Thursday they've been focused on whether to reinforce the damaged bridge with temporary support but could not definitively say when the bridge could be reopened.
The crash happened shortly before
The top of the truck, which was traveling east on
The driver,
The truck was empty but weighed 15,000 pounds, exceeding the weight limit of the bridge, Covelli said. Vehicles roughly weighing less than 6,000 pounds, or three tons, are allowed to pass through the one-lane bridge.
Tribune Archive Photo
On Thursday,
During an initial assessment, they found the cover to the bridge leaning two inches to the north, he said. Officials also were planning to inspect the foundation.
"The most urgent need is whether some temporary support should be done," Lothspeich said.
He said village officials also insure the bridge and have been working with the insurance company that represents the business that employed the driver, adding how the company rented the truck for food delivery.
But many questions about the long-term repair work to the bridge remain unanswered.
"The historic part of this bridge is its iron structure and hopefully that's not been damaged," Underwood said. "The real issue is if you maintain it in a way that has lost its integrity. If so, it could be removed from the historical list."
Many small business owners near
"It's a shame. This is the worst we've seen the bridge being damaged," Ullrich said. "I don't know what that (driver) was thinking."
Since her church is west of the bridge on
"Now, you can't cross the bridge, so all of our people will have to go around to
The crash comes after the covered bridge, which dates back to the early 1900s, was added to the
The preservation campaign started in 2017 after village officials began debating a few years ago whether to use federal money to tear down the bridge and build a two-lane replacement, or use a larger amount of village funds to maintain the covered one.
"It's devastating because the bridge is our brand," she said. "We've seen a resurgence of people coming back to
___
(c)2018 Pioneer Press Newspapers (Suburban Chicago, Ill.)
Visit Pioneer Press Newspapers (Suburban Chicago, Ill.) at www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News