WALLOPS ISLAND, VA — Countdowns are not unusual on Wallops Island. Still, the crowd gathered at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Monday counted down to the ceremonial groundbreaking of a new causeway rather than a rocket launch.
The $103 million federally funded project to replace the 65-year-old "Wallops Island Bridge" has been in the works for years.
David Pierce, the director of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, said the original bridge was built in 1959 to support the US space program's mission to the moon. Today, the steep slope of the bridge often makes it difficult to transport heavy materials for the commercial rocket launches and national defense activities that happen on Wallops.
"This bridge will not only support NASA launches into space, it'll also support commercial launches into space," Pierce said.
Federal and state lawmakers were represented at the groundbreaking. Virginia State Senator Bill DeSteph said constructing a new causeway will help Wallops Flight Facility utilize its unique position as one of only a handful of rocket launch sites in the country.
"We're not like the ones who only launch one or two rockets ... we launch everything here," Senator DeSteph said of the growth happening at Wallops. "Truly, we need it; the Eastern Shore needs it."
The Associate Director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Raymond
Rubilotta said the new bridge's design shows Wallops' commitment to its commercial and national defense partners. The flatter design will allow it to carry heavier loads faster.
"Right now, for example, you can walk across that bridge faster than you could drive it when we're carrying some of our heavy loads," Rubilotta said.
Wallops Flight Facility is also working with Eastern Shore colleges and universities, exposing students to pursue careers in the space-faring industry.
"It serves as a gateway and a pipeline for a STEM-ready workforce who are going to come to Wallops with all these skills to help ensure that, like the bridge for the future, we have a workforce for the future," Director Pierce said.
Federal Highway Administration worked with NASA to lead the delivery of the design-build. Kokosing Construction Company was awarded the project.
The bridge is slated for completion in early 2028. Drivers will continue to use the old causeway until construction of the new bridge is finished.