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Geoff Ladd statement on Elkhart bridge |
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the past month, several avenues were explored to solve once and for all
the ownership, responsibility and safety issues surrounding the Elkhart
bridge (John P. Gillett Memorial Bridge in Elkhart).
The Elkhart Historical Society investigated working with the village of Elkhart to solve this issue. We also looked at a less expensive insurance policy that the society could take on for the bridge, and indeed we did get a new quote in the $3,700-a-year range. However, while these local efforts were going on, the state of Illinois reinvigorated their investigation of this issue as well, and as of June 5 they have asked the historical society to hold off on privately insuring the bridge until perhaps a more comprehensive long-term preservation solution can be found for this unique structure. Indeed, the state of Illinois, through the offices of Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, has made it clear that this bridge is "protected." It is in the process of being added to the National Register of Historic Places, and because of that and other protections afforded to this historic structure, any alteration or removal plans would first have to go through a review process by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. It is our conclusion, therefore, that the bridge is here to stay, and that now is the time for officials on a local, state and perhaps even a federal level to all work together to find the best long-term solution for the preservation of the bridge and that we all work together to implement whatever is needed to make the road underneath as safe as possible, including regular maintenance, road repairs, possible re-engineering of the road underneath and perhaps installation of signal lights within one-fourth mile of each entrance to the underpass. |
It is critical that the Illinois
Department of Transportation, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency,
Landmark Preservation Council, Elkhart Historical Society and Logan
County Highway Department continue a process of working together for a
final solution that will offer the best protection for the future of
this bridge -- a structure that may well outlive all of us who have been
involved on one side or the other of this debate. I am urging that we
now all work together to reach a solution -- a solution that we are
convinced must involve long-term ownership and preservation.
We would like to thank all the entities that have been working with us and that are continuing to help us with this issue. On a side note -- those of you who are interested in seeing this historic structure should make plans to come to Elkhart this weekend for their all-town open house celebration, June 10 and 11. [Article] [Geoff Ladd] Geoff Ladd is the executive director of Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan County, and he also serves on the board of directors of the Elkhart Historical Society.
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