Space Florida Awarded $90M for Infrastructure Upgrade

The grant will help replace NASA's aging bridge across the Indian River Lagoon. Photo: Google Maps


Space Florida is moving forward with plans to upgrade space coast infrastructure after receiving a $90 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The grant will fund three infrastructure projects including the replacement of the NASA-owned State Road 405 Bridge over the Indian River.
The 55-year-old draw bridge will be demolished and replaced with two high-span bridges — allowing traffic to travel over and under like other bridges in the area. It was constructed in 1964 as a way to transport personnel and equipment during the space race.
The grant will also be used to widen Space Commerce Way just south of the Kennedy Space Center and renovate a 3.7-mile stretch of NASA Parkway West.
Space Florida’s Dale Ketchum said the renovations will help support a growing private space industry.
“It will replace it with a robust, resilient transportation network into the growing cape Canaveral spaceport,” Ketchum said. “Which is essential for all of us, so we’re kinda proud of it.”
The grant is part of the DOT’s Infrastructure for Rebuilding America program which provides discretionary funding to address critical infrastructure issues nationwide.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took to Twitter Wednesday, celebrating the federal investment.
.@SpaceFlorida has received official notification of its $90 million @USDOT grant to replace the Cape Canaveral Spaceport Indian River Bridge. With this federal investment, Florida will continue as a global leader in the aerospace industry for years to come.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) October 17, 2019
The project is expected to take five years to complete.
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