Red Covered Bridge (Illinois) Explained

Red Covered Bridge
Nrhp Type:nrhp
Location:2 mi. N of Princeton, IL off IL 26 on Old Dad Joe Trail
Coordinates:41.4164°N -89.4784°W
Built:1863
Added:April 23, 1975
Refnum:75000640

The Red Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge that runs over Big Bureau Creek north of Princeton in Dover Township, Bureau County, Illinois. It was originally built in 1863, at a cost of $3,148.57.[1] The 149feet span is one of ten remaining covered bridges in Illinois, and it is still open to traffic, though now covered with CCTV cameras. It was once part of the Peoria-Galena Trail.[2]

The bridge was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on April 23, 1975.

In April 2021, a truck driver's GPS routing system sent him through the bridge; the truck caused some damage before he stopped and backed out. Additional height and weight restriction signs were added after the incident.[3] In mid-November 2023, the iconic bridge was severely damaged by a semi tractor trailer crossing and was closed indefinitely for damage assessment and pending future plans.[4] [5]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sunmark. D. E.. National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Red Covered Bridge. https://web.archive.org/web/20131016134640/http://gis.hpa.state.il.us/pdfs/200796.pdf. dead. 2013-10-16. National Park Service. October 16, 2013. January 1973.
  2. Web site: Red Covered Bridge. Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway. October 16, 2013.
  3. Web site: Bullington . Jonathan . 2023-11-28 . Historic covered bridge in Illinois severely damaged . 2023-11-29 . Chicago Tribune.
  4. Web site: November 16, 2023 . Historic 'Red Covered Bridge' in Princeton, Illinois hit by semi truck . 2023-11-29 . wqad.com . en-US.
  5. Web site: 2023-11-17 . Historic Covered Bridge Destroyed After Semi-Trailer Crashes Into It . 2023-11-29 . Inside Edition . en-US.