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State Road 401 (Florida)
Encyclopedia
One of the shortest signed roads in the State of Florida
, State Road 401 (SR 401) is a four lane highway providing access to the south gate of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
near Cape Canaveral
. Its southern terminus is a trumpet interchange with the Martin Andersen Beachline Expressway (formerly the Bee Line Expressway) and SR A1A
. While the highway continues beyond the station gate (as Samuel E. Phillips Parkway) to the launch pad
s of the Kennedy Space Center
, the state designation no longer does, as civilian
s and most military personnel not assigned to the station are generally not permitted beyond the gate.
Before the construction of the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral AFS, the current SR 401 was a segment of SR A1A that extended from Fort Pierce
to Playalinda Beach; afterwards, but before the completion of the Bee Line, SR A1A continued northward along Atlantic Avenue into Cape Canaveral, then turning westward onto George King Boulevard and then northward onto (present-day) Samuel E. Phillips Parkway and ending at the station's gate. When the Bee Line's eastern extension was opened to traffic in 1967, SR A1A was shifted over to Astronaut Boulevard and the new toll road, and the former alignment was given the SR 401 designation (with SR 401 having its northern terminus at an intersection with SR 405
and the then-SR 402 in Cape Canaveral AFS). The section of SR 401 passing through the City of Cape Canaveral eventually lost its route signs and designation (becoming Brevard County Road 401 in the process), resulting in the current, much-shortened configuration of SR 401.
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, State Road 401 (SR 401) is a four lane highway providing access to the south gate of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is an installation of the United States Air Force Space Command's 45th Space Wing, headquartered at nearby Patrick Air Force Base. Located on Cape Canaveral in the state of Florida, CCAFS is the primary launch head of America's Eastern Range with four launch pads...
near Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral, Florida
Cape Canaveral is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 8,829 at the 2000 census. As of 2008, the estimated population according to the U.S. Census Bureau was 10,147...
. Its southern terminus is a trumpet interchange with the Martin Andersen Beachline Expressway (formerly the Bee Line Expressway) and SR A1A
Florida State Road A1A
State Road A1A is a Florida State Road that runs mostly along the Atlantic Ocean, with sections from Key West at the southern tip of Florida, to Callahan, just south of Georgia. It is the main road through most oceanfront towns. SR A1A is designated the A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Highway, a...
. While the highway continues beyond the station gate (as Samuel E. Phillips Parkway) to the launch pad
Launch pad
A launch pad is the area and facilities where rockets or spacecraft lift off. A spaceport can contain one or many launch pads. A typical launch pad consists of the service and umbilical structures. The service structure provides an access platform to inspect the launch vehicle prior to launch....
s of the Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
, the state designation no longer does, as civilian
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
s and most military personnel not assigned to the station are generally not permitted beyond the gate.
History
Fort Pierce, Florida
Fort Pierce, also spelled Ft. Pierce, is a city in St. Lucie County, Florida, USA. It is known as The Sunrise City. The population was 37,959 at the 2004 census. As of 2008, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 41,000. It is the county seat of St. Lucie County.Fort Pierce is part...
to Playalinda Beach; afterwards, but before the completion of the Bee Line, SR A1A continued northward along Atlantic Avenue into Cape Canaveral, then turning westward onto George King Boulevard and then northward onto (present-day) Samuel E. Phillips Parkway and ending at the station's gate. When the Bee Line's eastern extension was opened to traffic in 1967, SR A1A was shifted over to Astronaut Boulevard and the new toll road, and the former alignment was given the SR 401 designation (with SR 401 having its northern terminus at an intersection with SR 405
State Road 405 (Florida)
State Road 405 is a street making a sweeping arc in Titusville, Florida, and providing a major access route for the Kennedy Space Center on nearby Merritt Island...
and the then-SR 402 in Cape Canaveral AFS). The section of SR 401 passing through the City of Cape Canaveral eventually lost its route signs and designation (becoming Brevard County Road 401 in the process), resulting in the current, much-shortened configuration of SR 401.