WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. - NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility held a groundbreaking ceremony Monday to mark the start of construction on a new bridge that officials say is critical to supporting the site’s expanding space launch operations.
The new bridge, which will span 1,600 feet, is replacing an aging structure built in 1959. David Pierce, director of NASA Wallops Flight Facility, said the existing bridge has deteriorated, limiting how quickly and efficiently vehicles can cross. “The existing bridge was built in 1959, and it’s at the end of life,” Pierce said. “So we can’t go across it very quickly.”
Unlike the current bridge, the new design will be completely flat, eliminating the curve that currently slows down traffic. The crossing time will be reduced from 12 seconds to just 8, and the bridge will support heavier loads, allowing more equipment and materials to be transported to Wallops Island.
Unlike the current bridge, the new design will be completely flat, eliminating the curve that currently slows down traffic.
These upgrades are essential, Pierce said, as NASA Wallops ramps up its launch activity. “We’re going from launching a few rockets a year to launching 25 to 27 rockets over the next couple of years,” he said. “We need a new bridge to help enable that.”
The $103 million project is being funded entirely through federal funds awarded to NASA Wallops in 2023. Construction is set to begin immediately and is expected to be completed by February 2028.
Virginia State Sen. Bill DeSteph also spoke at the event, emphasizing the regional economic benefits of the project. “We have a lot of people who live in Maryland that work over at Wallops Island. You have a lot of people in Virginia that live in Virginia and work on Wallops Island,” DeSteph said. “So there’s a benefit there. And we have folks who live in Delaware who work down here as well.”
Officials said the bridge is just the first step in a series of planned projects aimed at expanding NASA’s footprint.