The major roadway that serves as the primary entrance and exit to NASA’s Kennedy Space in Florida for employees and visitors receives a major upgrade. The Florida Department of Transportation opened the first of two new high-rise bridges spanning the Indian River Lagoon and connecting Kennedy and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to the mainland via State Road 405/NASA Causeway in Titusville on Friday, June 9, 2023.
During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Kennedy Center Director Janet Petro said the new high-rises are designed to support the space efforts of NASA and its 100-plus commercial partners.
“Kennedy’s mission is to provide continuous access to space from Earth’s premier spaceport using creativity and innovation, and in many ways, this bridge is a representation of that spirit,” Petro added. “Creativity and innovation have been paramount since the inception of this project, allowing us to partner with multiple government agencies and work hand in hand with our commercial partners to bring this project to fruition. The road we are standing on today is more than a bridge—it is a critical artery that supplies the lifeblood to our mission.”
This first section of the bridge replaces the two-lane drawbridge which opened at that location in 1964, serving as the main access point for generations of NASA and commercial space hardware used during the Apollo, Space Shuttle, and Artemis eras as well as employees and visitors. A $90 million grant secured by Space Florida in July 2019 via the U.S. Department of Transportation funds nearly 50% of the drawbridge replacement and the widening of Space Commerce Way. The remainder is covered by NASA and the state of Florida.
Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky