Hidden Lake Bridge Restoration Project Receives ACEC Illinois 2025 Engineering Excellence Award

We are proud to announce the Hidden Lake Bridge Restoration and Rehabilitation project has received a Special Achievement Award from American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Illinois 2025 Engineering Excellence Awards.

Located west of Chicago in Lombard, Illinois, the Hidden Lake Bridge, originally built in the 1870s, spans the East Branch of the DuPage River and is the only known cast and wrought iron bowstring truss bridge in the region. Retained by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, Lochner provided inspection, rehabilitation design, and construction management services to restore the bridge for public use.

Years of submersion caused severe corrosion, compromising the bridge’s structure. Lochner preserved its original character by retaining wrought iron elements wherever possible, replacing only the most damaged components with modern steel. The bridge was dismantled, restored by a specialty fabricator, and reinstalled with a new timber deck and handrails to ensure safety for pedestrians and maintenance vehicles. To mitigate flooding risks, Lochner conducted a hydraulic analysis and elevated the bridge with new concrete abutments on steel piles, enhancing resilience against future submersion. The bridge reopened on National Trails Day with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, bringing the community together to celebrate its renewal.

The project was also internally recognized, receiving Lochner’s 2023 Annual Award in the Sustainability category. Our Chicago Design Team earned this honor for their commitment to making sustainability a basis of the restoration and their exceptional work in preserving the bridge.

We are proud to have been a part of restoring this historic bridge, maintaining our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and community impact!