Lake County Department of Transportation Director Shane Schneider briefed the committee on July 30 about a recent load posting placed by the Illinois Department of Transportation for a county bridge on Deerfield Road over the North Branch of the Chicago River at the Deerfield/Highland Park boundary.

Schneider said the structure was originally built in 1962; the deck was replaced in February while the bridge was under Village of Deerfield jurisdiction, and the county assumed highway and bridge jurisdiction in 2018. A recent structural inspection showed deterioration in the beams supporting the deck. IDOT performed a load test and posted temporary weight restrictions that reduce combination vehicles to 20 tons and single vehicles to 15 tons; Schneider noted the limits are about half the legal gross vehicle weight limit (40 tons).

The sign posting went up the prior week, Schneider said, and the county notified neighboring municipalities. The restrictions apply to all vehicles, including some school buses and emergency vehicles, depending on their individual vehicle weights; agencies and carriers have contacted the department seeking clarification.

Schneider said the county will bring an engineering contract to a future committee meeting to study rehabilitation versus replacement and determine the next steps. He said the bridge will be monitored and routine inspections will continue; the county seeks to avoid a full closure but acknowledged heavy continued use could shorten the structure’s life and force a closure if deterioration accelerates.

Committee members asked about detour routing and traffic impact; Schneider said the county does not typically impose a single posted detour because various vehicles have different destinations, but he suggested Lake Cook Road as an east‑west alternative and said municipalities can restrict neighborhood streets if needed. He said local law enforcement would be responsible for enforcing the posted weight restrictions.

The engineering analysis will inform whether repairs or full replacement are required and will set a timeline and cost estimate for construction work.