A historic bridge in Long Grove was struck by a vehicle Monday afternoon, marking the 42nd occasion in which the bridge has been struck by a vehicle since the bridge underwent a reconstruction project in 2020.
According to officials, an 11-foot U-Haul box truck struck the top of the bridge while traveling westbound on Robert Parker Coffin Road at approximately 2:15 p.m. Monday.
The bridge remained blocked for approximately an hour as the truck's tires were deflated to move the vehicle out of the road. The driver was cited for disobeying the signage displaying the height limit and prohibiting trucks.
Village officials said that there does not appear to be any structural damage to the bridge, although upcoming assessments will determine the full extent of the damage.
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Just last Monday, the bridge was struck by a 15-foot box truck, a truck significantly higher than the bridge's low 8-foot-6 clearance height.
"The bridge has got 40+ wins, the trucks 0," said Ryan Messner, president of Long Grove's downtown business association.
Messner added that the crashes are a result of drivers not paying attention and/or ignoring the multiple signs displaying the bridge's height in both directions.
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"There are three signs coming both ways and obviously signage above the bridge," said Messner. "It’s lack of paying attention to your surroundings."
The consistency of crashes is frustrating for residents, who at times have to deal with traffic bottlenecks and repairs.
The Lake County Sheriff's Office says based on the amount of damage to the truck, it’s possible the driver did not stop at the stop sign, just prior to the bridge. The driver was cited for disobeying a traffic control sign.
The 116-year-old bridge had just reopened Monday, following a renaming dedication ceremony on Thursday to honor the original architect, Robert Parker Coffin, as well as the village Apple Fest over the weekend.
Messner believes technology is to blame for the crashes.
"[The bridge] went 46 years without getting hit. Then all of a sudden, I think as technology evolved on phones, with Waze, Google Maps and all these different map programs giving direction and faster times, that’s when we started to see an increased activity on the bridge getting hit," said Messner.
