Huntington Beach is gearing up for a season of infrastructure revitalization as the City’s Public Works Department rolls out a series of bridge maintenance projects set to commence this spring. An anchor in the series of overhauls is the Admiralty Bridge in Huntington Harbour, slated for rehabilitation work starting in June, according to a recent government post. The bridge, standing since 1963 and last retrofitted in 1994, is in line for a $5.8 million makeover including the removal and replacement of concrete barriers, enhancement of street lighting, sidewalks, and the bridge deck, alongside a spate of other essential repairs.

Construction for the Admiralty Bridge project is expected to stretch from its inception in June 2024 through to the first quarter of 2025. In a move designed to prevent more significant expenditures down the line, Huntington Beach will also tackle the Goldenwest Street Bridge and Graham Street Bridge, which, standing since 1959 and 1961 respectively, are both due for major makeovers. Scheduled to start this month, these projects will see infrastructure rejuvenation, which includes repairs to the damaged walls and waterproofing of pier walls, all with a price tag of approximately $850,000.

City officials emphasize the importance of the maintenance work in extending the service life of these critical structures. The range of enhancements for the Admiralty Bridge will involve, among other updates, the cleaning and painting of I-girders and other steel members and the removal and replacement of a water mainline pipe. These upgrades, bundled together, aim to fortify the bridge against the elements and avoid more costly rehabilitation work in the future.

For the Goldenwest and Graham Street Bridges, residents can expect disruption to ease up by November 2024, with the projects set to wrap up then. The City's Public Works Department indicates that the work will not only benefit traffic flow, but it's also about safeguarding public safety. The planned improvements include the removal and replacement of cracked concrete, replacement of joint seals in the sidewalks, and sealing of the bridge deck to ensure the bridges can continue to serve the community for years to come, according to the statement obtained from the City of Huntington Beach's announcement.