Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis applauded the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) for awarding nearly $100 million in funding for two major projects in Florida through the Infrastructure For Rebuilding America (INFRA) Grant program.
Space Florida will be awarded $90 million to replace the Cape Canaveral Spaceport Indian River Bridge with new twin high-level bridges. The bridges will serve as a vital connection between the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral and the mainland (State Road 405) as traffic continues to increase.
PortMiami will be awarded $8,046,741 to rehabilitate and create new capacity on the Seaboard Marine Terminal, increasing the Port’s long-term success and viability as a hub of international trade and commerce.
“As Florida’s population continues to increase, we must work to ensure that our transportation infrastructure remains robust and up to date for our citizens and visitors,” said Governor DeSantis. “Our ports and spaceports are essential to our future economic success. This federal investment will further strengthen PortMiami, Cape Canaveral and our space industry, as well as our transportation infrastructure system as a whole.”
“I thank the USDOT for awarding nearly $100 million for two major projects that will greatly impact our infrastructure in Florida,” said Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin J. Thibault. “These projects are critical to supporting growth both within PortMiami and Cape Canaveral and will further solidify Florida’s position as one the best transportation systems in the country.”
“The INFRA Grant Award to replace the aging SR 405 bridge over the Indian River Lagoon took a lot of teamwork, and it demonstrates the U.S. Department of Transportation’s confidence in the State to execute,” said Space Florida President and CEO Frank DiBello. “We are excited for the opportunity to showcase Space Florida’s capabilities of meeting the needs of the commercial sector. We can now look forward to a new more robust transportation infrastructure to support Florida’s dominant position in the commercial space marketplace.”
Each year, INFRA grants are awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation to projects focused on undertaking critical issues pertaining to our country’s highways and bridges. For more information on the INFRA Grants program, visit: https://www.transportation.gov/buildamerica/infragrants.