Crews working to replace deteriorating Edinger Avenue bridge in Huntington Harbour

A project to replace the deteriorating Edinger Avenue bridge in Huntington Harbour has begun, with expected lane closures and delays to follow.

Orange County Public Works will be replacing the old timber bridge — which crosses the Bolsa Chica Channel into the Sunset Aquatic Marina on the west side of Huntington Beach — with a wider, concrete one, according to OC Public Works.

They will also upgrade the barrier railing and increase the clearance for projected flood water elevations in the channel.

The new bridge is expected to last 75 years and cost about $14.43 million, according to OC Public Works.

The timber bridge is about 50 years old and was meant to provide temporary access to the nearby marina; the wood piles that hold the bridge up have degenerated because of marine borers, which are crustaceans that eat wood.

In 2015, the bridge underwent about two months of repairs due to the damage caused by the underwater insects.

Crews will be working from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The project is slated to be completed in early 2019.

The bridge will continue to have one lane open and traffic personnel will be on-scene to guide the flow of two-way traffic, with one direction moving at a time, according to OC Public Works.

benjamin.brazil@latimes.com

Twitter:@benbrazilpilot