NASA Wallops Flight Facility begins construction on revamped causeway bridge

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. – State leaders and NASA representatives got together to break ground on a special new project. The new Causeway bridge on NASA’s Wallops Island will bring more growth to the facility. With the expectation to make transportation more efficient and effective.

David Pierce, the NASA Wallops Island Flight Facility Director, said the bridge ran its initial life expectancy. “It was originally built in 1959, and so it’s at the end of life. Our federal representative in congress authorized the funding for the bridge, and so with that funding now begins the construction.”

To commemorate the start of construction for the new Causeway Bridge, state officials and NASA leadership broke ground on the new project.

Pierce said the reconstruction bridge will revamp the facility in a great way. “Virginia Space Port Authority, Northrop Grumman, Firefly, and Rocket Lab all come and transport the rocket components to the island as part of this unprecedented growth.”

In 2023, NASA Wallops was awarded $100 million federal funds to replace the 65-year-old structure.

Currently, the bridge is the sole way of vehicular access to the mainland facilities from the launch range. District 20 Virginia state Senator Bill DeSteph is excited about the project. “We can launch just about any rocket here on Wallops Island.”

The bridge is slated for completion in early 2028. It will feature a flatter base infrastructure to accommodate the increase in heavier loads.

Pierce looks at the project as an even greater step towards economic growth. “It’s just a bridge, but really it’s a pathway to space here at Wallops.”