Rebuild of damaged Illinois covered bridge nears completion
LONG GROVE, Ill (AP) - Work is nearing completion on a $1 million project to rebuild a covered bridge in northern Illinois that was severely damaged two years ago by a delivery truck.
Long Grove village President Bill Jacob said work on the steel-reinforced reconstruction of the community's iconic covered bridge is in the 'œhomestretch'ť and crews are installing the roof rafters this week.
The bridge, which dates back to 1906, had been listed on the National Register of Historic Places in June 2018. Sixteen days later, a box truck plowed into it, severely damaging the structure, the Lake County News-Sun reported.
Jacob said he will be excited to see the completed bridge along with all the other work that has been done in the village's historic downtown.
'œIt is our logo. It's part of our town,'ť he said. 'œThe fact that we were able to save this is really good for the town, and the community and our future. It's keeping the history of our downtown.'ť
The rebuild carried a total price tag of about $1 million, including engineering work and actual construction.
The Long Grove Historical Society donated about $53,000 to the village Wednesday to help cover the bridge's restoration, said Angie Underwood, the historical society's president.
That money, donated by Long Grove-area residents and businesses, was collected through fundraising efforts that included lemonade stands, art and craft sales, donation jars and online donation drives.
The village also received a $250,000 state grant to help cover the project's cost, and about $190,000 in insurance reimbursement, Jacob said.