DeSantis celebrates the $128 million bridge upgrade expected to improve safety and flow for Brevard County’s booming aerospace sector

Florida – Governor Ron DeSantis announced the completion of the second NASA Causeway Bridge, marking the project’s conclusion a full six months ahead of schedule. Early completion gives the Brevard County region’s growing aerospace industry a much-needed infrastructure boost.

Covering 4,025 feet across the Indian River, the new bridge is a component of a larger project aiming at improving and simplifying transportation in a region vital to national space activities. Unlike the former drawbridge, these fixed-span bridges enable continuous transport by without the need of any river traffic openings. This design modification is especially important since it allows the huge and heavy payloads needed for space missions.

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Whereas the old bridge has been converted for eastbound traffic, the completion of the second bridge implies that westbound traffic will now pass over the new construction. This reconfiguration seeks to maximize traffic flow and safety on this vital path. The project, which cost $128 million, was a collaborative effort involving the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), NASA, and Space Florida.

Given the significance of the record-breaking operations at Cape Canaveral Spaceport, which last year enabled 93 launches and managed 2.7 million pounds of space cargo, Governor DeSantis underlined the strategic relevance of this initiative.

“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, emphasizing the state’s readiness to support even greater ambitions, including potentially hosting NASA’s new headquarters.

Completed ahead of schedule in 2023, the first bridge has already been quite important. Serving all launch partners at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, including major players like NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense, it supported over 1,000 transfers linked to the space sector.

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FDOT Secretary Jared W. Perdue expressed pride in the department’s ability to meet and exceed the transportation and infrastructure expectations of the space community and local residents.

“The Florida Department of Transportation (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, P.E.

“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.”

Furthermore, part of larger efforts to accommodate the large loads routinely transported to and from the Kennedy Space Center and surrounding hubs is the recent completion of the 2.7-mile widening of Space Commerce Way from NASA Parkway West to Kennedy Parkway, so expanding the road from two to four lanes.

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This improvement is projected to help Florida’s key center for aerospace innovation and activity by further simplifying operations and supporting the safety and efficiency of the region’s important transportation systems.