Editorial: Long Grove can still do more to solve covered bridge woes

Long Grove's beloved covered bridge serves as more than just an entry point into the village's quaint downtown: It symbolizes the town itself and its ties to history.

But whatever warm feelings the iconic structure evokes have been replaced recently by bewilderment, frustration and, yes, even dark humor.

Severely damaged in June of 2018 by a box truck, the bridge on Robert Parker Coffin Road reopened on Aug. 14 after two years of costly repairs. The celebration drew village officials, business owners and residents.

Less than 24 hours later, however, the driver of a rented school bus ignored GPS warnings to steer clear and drove through the bridge - damaging both ends.

Four days after that, a box truck driver hit it as well, inspiring reactions that would not have been out of place for a small-town-set sitcom.

Fortunately, changes to the bridge since its 2018 accident saved it from structural damage. But the broken planks on both sides serve as painful reminders that village officials have a lot more work to do to protect this treasured landmark.

Last week, officials affixed bright yellow height signs on the bridge and vowed to examine other options.

The signs help. But they're not enough. Other nearby notices, for example, are too small and clustered with other signs, making them easy to miss.

Village Manager David Lothspeich spoke to reporter Elena Ferrarin last week.

"It doesn't seem to matter how much signage is out there, although more certainly is probably better," he said. "Hopefully this helps with the frequency of the bridge being hit."

Lothspeich said he's been following stories of the so-called "11-foot-8 Bridge" in North Carolina, which gained notoriety for damage. Officials there raised the bridge last year.

Long Grove's bridge, built in 1906, is on the National Register of Historic Places. The first cover was added in 1972. Village officials have made clear that the bridge - and its wooden cover - are there to stay.

"It's our logo. It's part of Long Grove," Village President Bill Jacob told Ferrarin. "We just need to take some measures to try to protect it."

Among the options are weight-triggered flashing lights and drive-through-style low-clearance bars. They should look at those and others.

Last week's damage was cosmetic, and no one was hurt. But if oversized vehicles could plow into the newly renovated structure twice in less than a week, then the work to make it safer must continue.