Space Florida is getting a $90 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to replace an aging bridge leading to the Kennedy Space Center.
The grant will help cover the cost of replacing NASA’s bridge over the Indian River Lagoon along State Road 405 which leads into the Space Center and Vistor Complex.
As private business ramps up along the Space Coast, the new bridge will support more commercial companies.
"This is a key component of enabling the Cape Canaveral Space Port to continue to flourish with commercial activity," said Space Florida's Dale Ketcham.
He said most of the trucks and cargo heading to Blue Origin, OneWeb, SpaceX use that bridge. "That’s pretty much the primary artery and it needs to be so we’re not forcing people and big trucks onto the Beachline and SR-3."
The plan is to build two freestanding, high-span bridges to replace the current single draw bridge.
The DOT grant will cover about 60 percent of the costs. NASA, along with Space Florida and the Florida Department of Transportation, will pay for the remainder of the demolition and building costs.
The project will take about five years to complete.
