Long Grove covered bridge hit for 35th time since 2020

The picturesque covered bridge in suburban Long Grove has once again been struck by an overzealous motorist in an oversized vehicle.

The latest incident involved an 11-foot tall U-Haul truck traveling east on Robert Parker Coffin Road, which hit the covered bridge Saturday morning, officials said. The historic bridge’s roof rises up to a height of 8 feet 6 inches — and signage for “at least” two blocks makes the bridge’s clearance quite clear, according to Village Manager Greg Jackson.

Yet, it’s the 35th time the bridge has been hit by a vehicle that failed to clear the height restriction since the bridge’s reconstruction in August of 2020, said Chris Covelli, deputy chief of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. That means in the 23 months since the bridge was outfitted with steel under the wooden beams, it has been hit an average of 1.5 times a month. The first of which came less than 24 hours after the bridge reconstruction was complete.

“It is marked extremely well that there’s low clearance,” Covelli said. “It’s very difficult for drivers to miss; however, several have not heeded the signage.”

After the U-haul hit the bridge around 9:30 a.m., it took about an hour for a tow service operator to pull the truck free from under the bridge’s covering, Covelli added.

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“I shake my head. I cannot believe that people still attempt to cross that bridge knowing how well it’s marked,” Jackson said.

An inspector concluded the bridge sustained no structural damage, and the bridge was reopened at 2 p.m. Saturday.

The 50-year-old U-Haul driver, a man from Lisle, received a citation for failing to comply with the signage, Covelli said. He is due in court in September and, according to Jackson, could be subject to a $750 fine.

Jackson said the village is looking at other options to prevent future incidents, such as an overhead detection device.

“But that comes with bells and lights, and that’d sit in the middle of a residential neighborhood as well,” he said. “So there could be some issues there.”

Another option, Jackson said, would be to add a clearance bar such as the ones used in city parking garages. But that presents an aesthetic problem, he added, especially considering the bridge is part of the National Register of Historic Places.

Besides, if drivers are unable or unwilling to heed the current warning signs and risk damage to their vehicle as well as the threat of a fine, it’s unclear if adding even more in the way of deterrence will prevent crash No. 36.