Industrial History: 1863 Red Covered Bridge over Big Bureau Creek near Princeton, IL

(Satellite, 473 photos)

I can't believe the number of times that I have passed within 2 miles of this bridge, but I didn't know about it.

OnlyInYourState, Google/Dakota Johnson
"The Oldest Covered Bridge In Illinois Has Been Around Since 1863
"Also the longest covered bridge in the state, it measures 149 feet [45.4m] from end to end, and it crosses Big Bureau Creek, which is not far from the bend in the Illinois River....The bridge is made from wood and stone and cost more than $3,000 to build in the mid-1800s. Today, that would cost about $90,000."

The main span is 95' (30m). [historic-structures]

RoadsideAmerica
"Built in 1863, was said to be the only remaining covered bridge in Illinois that you can still drive through."
[This source says there were 5 covered bridges open to vehicular traffic and 9 total.]
"Unfortunately, it was recently [written May 11, 2021] seriously damaged by an out-of-state truck driver who took a wrong turn."

How many times have trucks torn this bridge apart? I presume the above 1921 comment refers to the problem that got fixed in 2020. Now they are dealing with a Nov 2023 problem.

IDOT

It is one thing to hit the bridge. It is another to keep going and tear it apart.

Bureau County Tourism posted three photos with the comment: "One of our oldest historic attractions, The Red Covered Bridge, was destroyed by a semi driver this [Nov 16, 2023] morning. So sad."

Clare Faivre-Stevens: Please tell me that the driver will pay for the reconstruction of this iconic treasure!!!!!!!

Todd Applegate: Clare Faivre-Stevens the trucking company pledged to restore it as well as sacking the driver with promises to let any of her prospective future employers know what she did.

Scott Mehaffey: We all need to pressure IDOT to install height restriction bars before both approaches to the bridge - as they were asked to do by Princeton’s former Mayor, the IL Historic Preservation Agency and others. The District sign shop refused and attached a modern aluminum highway sign directly to this National Register-listed structure. With no consequences - until now! Some people don’t read signs, unfortunately ☹️

[As one comment pointed out, the bar should be installed on the county road where you turn off from Main Street. But that would not have helped in this case because the 64-year old woman was really lost because she attempted to drive through the north side of the bridge. "The bridge survived a number of incidents prior to the November crash. An arsonist in 1971 attempted to burn it down. Erosion along Bureau Creek in the 1990s threatened the bridge after it damaged the Illinois 26 bridge upstream. High winds in 2003 felled a 90-foot-tall cottonwood tree across the north side of the deck leading to the bridge but missed the main structure. The bridge has received several upgrades in recent decades, such as a fire suppression system, lighting and a surveillance system. While these improvements have helped protect the bridge, it has not been spared from crashes involving large trucks. Prior to the most recent crash, the last notable one was in 2021, when a semitrailer struck one of the bridge entrances. The bridge was repaired that same year. The bridge also underwent maintenance and repair work in 2022 as workers replaced the steel beams supporting the south approach to the bridge as well as cleaned and painted the steel beams for the north approach. New timber planking was added at both ends." [idot] Looking at a satellite image, I feel sorry for the driver. Once you turn on to the wrong country road, you can't turn around. And that would have been a long ways to back up.]