Robert Parker Coffin Bridge

Robert Parker Coffin Bridge
The bridge in 2021
Robert Parker Coffin Bridge is located in Chicago metropolitan area
Robert Parker Coffin Bridge
Robert Parker Coffin Bridge is located in Illinois
Robert Parker Coffin Bridge
Robert Parker Coffin Bridge is located in the United States
Robert Parker Coffin Bridge
LocationRobert Parker Coffin Rd. over Buffalo Cr., Long Grove, Illinois
Coordinates42°10′39″N 87°59′59″W / 42.17750°N 87.99972°W / 42.17750; -87.99972
Built1906 (1906)
Built byJoliet Bridge and Iron Company
Architectural stylePony truss
NRHP reference No.100001672[1]
Added to NRHPJune 11, 2018

The Robert Parker Coffin Bridge (formerly known as the Buffalo Creek Bridge) is a Pratt pony truss bridge that spans Buffalo Creek in Long Grove, Illinois, United States. Standing 41 feet (12 m) long, it was built in 1906 by the Joliet Bridge and Iron Company. It is one of the few remaining bridges of its kind in the Chicago area and the state of Illinois, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.

In 1972, the town added a low-hanging decorative wooden covering in an effort to deter large commercial vehicles; with a clearance height of 8 feet 6 inches (2.59 m), the covering has been frequently struck by trucks, buses, and other vehicles, particularly in recent years. After a collision in 2018, the bridge was shut down for several months while the decorative covering underwent reconstruction and reinforcement with steel. Currently, despite enduring numerous hits since then, the structure only suffers minor damages.

  1. ^ "Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 5/10/2018 to 6/15/2018". National Park Service. Archived from the original on March 24, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2018.