White Oaks Road Bridge in Chemung Township closed until further notice due to large hole

McHenry County Division of Transportation recommends detour down Lawrence Road

The bridge on White Oaks Road a few miles north of Perkins Road in Chemung Township is closed because of “significant deterioration” of the bridge’s structure.

The McHenry County Division of Transportation closed the bridge Thursday after discovering a “large, full-depth hole” in the surface of the bridge, according to a news release sent Friday.

The hole is significant enough that the structure of the bridge no longer is safe for travel, according to the release.

To avoid the closure, the county is recommending a detour route that takes drivers east on State Line Road to Lawrence Road, which runs parallel to White Oaks, and then recommends turning west on Perkins Road to get back to White Oaks. Drivers coming from the other direction would take Perkins Road east to Lawrence and then turn on State Line Road to go west back to White Oaks.

At the end of March, MCDOT put up a sign alerting drivers that the maximum load capacity of the bridge was 15 tons for vehicles with a single axel or 21 tons for vehicles with three or more axels.

However, after “significant deterioration” was identified Thursday, the bridge was closed completely.

It will remain closed until further notice.

The county’s bridge inspection consultant will inspect the bridge to see whether anything can be done to reopen it at a later date, according to the release.