BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The eastbound NASA Causeway Bridge has opened to traffic for the first time.
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It will replace the causeway drawbridge that was built in 1964.
The bridge, which spans over the Indian River and connects Titusville to the Kennedy Space Center, is considered a critical piece of national infrastructure.
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Eastbound lanes were completed about 125 days ahead of schedule.
The first span will accommodate two-way traffic until a second bridge is completed for westbound travel.
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Frank Dibello, president and CEO of Space Florida, said the bridge is the primary transit route for satellites, rockets and other specialty aerospace parts.
Dibello said it was no longer considered safe for heavier payloads.
Federal and state funding helped pay for the $126 million replacement project.
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The partnership included the Florida Department of Transportation, NASA, Space Florida and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday.
“The road we’re standing on today is more than a bridge,” Petro said. “It’s a critical artery that supplies the lifeblood to our mission.”
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