Drew Dixon
A new bridge has opened in Brevard County that’s designed to make traffic flow smoother for NASA workers and those of associated support programs.
The NASA Causeway Bridge is the second of two new bridges along the Cape. It was completed some six months ahead of schedule at a cost of $128 million.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said the new span builds on efforts to revitalize space program activity at Kennedy Space Center in recent years with increased missions from SpaceX and more involvement from NASA.
“Cape Canaveral Spaceport broke records with 93 launches and 2.7 million pounds of space cargo last year — and we’re expecting over 150 launches this year,” DeSantis said. “Florida is committed to building the infrastructure the space industry needs to keep growing, and with these new bridges, Florida is more ready than ever to become home to NASA’s new headquarters.”
A high-profile example of space activity capturing world headlines was the return of NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. The two were stuck in orbit in a spacecraft for nine months after they were originally set to be in space for barely more than a week. The pair of astronauts returned to Earth amid great fanfare after their capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico (also known as the Gulf of America) Tuesday.
The new bridge crossing the Indian River Lagoon in Brevard County is taller and wider than the original bridges and is a companion to another new span that was completed earlier. The new bridges stretch 4,025 feet over the river and are fixed spans. That eliminates the drawbridges that previously existed across the river, which dramatically slowed road traffic when the bridges would open for river boat traffic.
The new spans will also help the space program because they can handle increasing volumes of payloads heading for the space programs at Kennedy Space Center.
The funding for the bridges came from combined efforts through the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), NASA and Space Florida, an advocacy organization designed to increase space program business in the state. It also accompanies a widening of Space Commerce Way, which was completed in 2024 and covered 2.7 miles leading to the causeways.
“(FDOT) worked closely with our space industry partners and our local communities to meet their vision for the area and their transportation needs,” said FDOT Secretary Jared W. Perdue. “This NASA Causeway Bridge project along with the Space Commerce Way widening project will support the growing workforce and evolving needs of this community and our state long into the future.”
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Material from The Associated Press was used in this report. Republished with permission.
