PRINCETON, Ill. — The beloved Red Covered Bridge in Princeton, Illinois has been hit by a semi-truck, according to the Bureau County Historical Society and History Center.
The accident occurred Thursday morning around 7:30 when a truck driver from Alabama collided with the historic structure, according to reports on Facebook.
News 8 talked with a spokesperson from the Bureau County Historical Society who said the community is devastated over the loss of the historical landmark, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places back in 1975.
Illinois has only nine covered bridges recorded statewide, with two of them being in Princeton. The oldest of the two is the Red Covered Bridge which was built around 1863, the same year the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.
The 149-foot-long span cost $3,148.57 to construct and was once part of the Peoria-Galena Trail, crossing over Big Bureau Creek.
Prior to today's accident, the bridge was one of five covered bridges in Illinois that was still open to vehicular traffic.
It's still unknown what the community's plan is moving forward at the time of publication. However, the spokesperson from the historical society said they would be involved in any restoration plan if that were to occur.
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