Short answer: Palm Bay reaches I-95 at Malabar Road (Exit 173), Palm Bay Road (Exit 176), U.S. 192 (Exit 180) and the St. Johns Heritage Parkway SE interchange opened August 11, 2020. City streets are being repaved under the $150 million GO Roads bond approved in November 2018, while widening designs for St. Johns Heritage Parkway, Malabar Road and Emerson Drive NW still lack construction money.
Last verified: October 12, 2026, against the sources listed at the end of this page.
How is Palm Bay connected by road and transit?
Palm Bay connects to I-95 at Malabar Road (Exit 173), Palm Bay Road (Exit 176) and U.S. 192 (Exit 180), plus a fourth interchange near Micco Road (City of Palm Bay; parkway page).
FDOT numbers two Palm Bay roads as state roads. FDOT identifies Malabar Road as State Road 514 and Babcock Street as State Road 507 on its Palm Bay resurfacing project (FDOT 450729-1), and lists Palm Bay Road as County Road 516 on its I-95 work (FDOT 448977-1). Malabar Road is also where City Hall sits, at 120 Malabar Road (IAOB minutes, February 28, 2022), the contact address on the Palm Bay Public Works projects page (Palm Bay Public Works projects).
The newest interstate link opened in 2020. The City of Palm Bay lists a ribbon cutting on August 11, 2020 for the diverging diamond interchange on I-95 just north of Micco Road, at the south end of St. Johns Heritage Parkway (City of Palm Bay parkway page). That parkway, its unbuilt middle section and its planned widening each have a page in this Palm Bay transportation section, as do Malabar Road and Emerson Drive.
What is the Palm Bay GO Roads paving program?
GO Roads is the Palm Bay street paving program paid by the $150 million bond voters approved in November 2018, carried out in five phases over an eight-year construction period (City of Palm Bay Public Works).
Each phase is vetted by the Palm Bay Infrastructure Advisory and Oversight Board before it goes to City Council for final approval, and paving started with a kickoff event in Unit 41 on October 11, 2019 (Palm Bay Public Works projects). The city reports more than 418 miles of road improvements completed so far, in areas that include Eldron, Garvey, Port Malabar, sections of Emerson, Palm Bay Colony and the Kirby Industrial Parks.
| Phase | Status |
|---|---|
| Phases 1 and 2 | Completed (projects page) |
| Phase 3 | 50% complete, remaining areas out to bid (projects page) |
| Phase 4 | Funded and in design (projects page) |
| Phase 5 | Unfunded; city exploring alternative funding (projects page) |
Drainage work comes first. Palm Bay Public Works says its stormwater pipe replacement follows ahead of the Road Bond Paving, with city engineers designing the pipes and culverts before crews pave (Palm Bay Public Works projects). Residents find their unit number on the city GIS map, which the projects page points to for locating each paving area. Completed jobs on the Palm Bay list include the 1.66-mile Port Malabar Road segment between Palm Bay Road and Babcock Street, at $996,582, and Unit 30, the costliest on the list, where 30.10 miles cost $11,923,113 (GO Roads project table). Last verified: October 12, 2026, on the City of Palm Bay Public Works pages for GO Roads paving and road capacity.
Which Palm Bay roads are planned for widening?
Palm Bay has three widening designs or studies under way, on St. Johns Heritage Parkway, Malabar Road and Emerson Drive NW, and none of them has construction money yet (City of Palm Bay Public Works).
| Project | Stage | Figure stated |
|---|---|---|
| St. Johns Heritage Parkway, Malabar Road to Emerson Drive | Design by Scalar Consulting Group | $3.3 million design and engineering (projects page) |
| Malabar Road, Minton Road to St. Johns Heritage Parkway | PD&E complete; design firm in negotiation | $10 million design, $3 million from FDOT (projects page) |
| Emerson Drive NW, Jupiter to St. Johns Heritage Parkway | PD&E study, two lanes to four divided | Up to two years to complete (projects page) |
| San Filippo at Jupiter, Wyoming and Cogan | Intersection design | Construction value pending (projects page) |
Malabar Road already carries a regional price. The Space Coast TPO Advance 2050 needs list prices widening Malabar Rd from St. Johns Heritage Pkwy to Minton Rd to four lanes with a trail, 3.96 miles, at $159,395,700 in total (Space Coast TPO, Appendix F). The Public Works page notes that ownership of Malabar Road is split in segments among the City of Palm Bay, Brevard County and FDOT, so funding will likely come in segments.
Babcock Street is the other state corridor in the plan. The same needs list includes widening SR 507 (Babcock St) from SR 514 (Malabar Rd) to Palm Bay Rd to six lanes over 2.52 miles (Space Coast TPO).
What is FDOT doing on I-95 and Malabar Road in Palm Bay?
FDOT is resurfacing 24.1 miles of I-95 from south of Malabar Road to north of Fiske Boulevard for $63.3 million, with completion estimated for Spring 2027 (FDOT 448977-1).
The I-95 job repaves the ramps at the Malabar Road and Palm Bay Road interchanges among others, and adds barriers to protect the overpass piers at Minton Road (FDOT 448977-1). Its October 2026 notice lists overnight lane closures on northbound I-95 from Malabar Road (Exit 173) to U.S. 192.
On Malabar Road itself, FDOT finished a 0.878-mile resurfacing from west of I-95 to east of Babcock Street, a $1.7 million project that also rebuilt pedestrian curb ramps to Americans with Disabilities Act standards (FDOT 450729-1).
Longer term, the Space Coast TPO needs list carries interchange and safety improvements for I-95 at SR 514 (Malabar Rd) at $2,699,000, and widening I-95 to eight lanes from Malabar Rd to SR 518 (Eau Gallie Blvd) over 10 miles (Space Coast TPO, Appendix F).
Where are Palm Bay road closures posted?
Palm Bay posts road and lane closures on the Public Works traffic advisories page, which also offers an email signup for each new notice (City of Palm Bay traffic advisories).
In early October 2026 the Palm Bay list showed a mix of road closures, lane closures and Pike construction notices, with 26 items on file (City of Palm Bay). Pike Engineering's annual schedule, posted on the Public Works projects page, says most of its planned work will occur along Malabar Road between Babcock Street and Emerson Drive (Palm Bay Public Works projects).
Questions about a Palm Bay closure go to Public Works at 321-952-3437, the number the projects page gives for the department, and FDOT handles closures on I-95 and Malabar Road under its own project pages (City of Palm Bay).
What bus service reaches Palm Bay?
Space Coast Area Transit, branded 321Transit, runs Palm Bay routes including Route 22 South Palm Bay, Route 23 West Palm Bay, Route 25 Melbourne/Palm Bay and Route 27 East Palm Bay (321Transit system map).
Commuters can leave a car at the Palm Bay Park & Ride Lot on Emerson Drive NW, which 321Transit says Route 23 serves (321Transit).
The City of Palm Bay pays for bus passes for some residents through a Community Development Block Grant voucher program. That program is closed, the city anticipates reopening it in November 2026, and residents must be within 80% area median income limits to qualify (City of Palm Bay SCAT Bus Voucher Program).
Frequently asked questions
Who maintains roads in Palm Bay?
City streets are repaved and maintained by the City of Palm Bay Public Works Department, which runs the GO Roads program. FDOT runs the I-95 resurfacing and has resurfaced Malabar Road (S.R. 514) near I-95, and the Palm Bay Public Works projects page says ownership of Malabar Road is shared in segments among the city, Brevard County and FDOT.
How much is left in Palm Bay GO Roads paving?
Palm Bay Public Works reports Phases 1 and 2 completed, Phase 3 half done with the rest out to bid, Phase 4 funded and in design, and Phase 5 unfunded. The program comes from the $150 million bond Palm Bay voters approved in November 2018.
Which I-95 exits serve Palm Bay?
A February 2026 City of Palm Bay notice names Malabar Road (Exit 173), Palm Bay Road (Exit 176) and U.S. 192 (Exit 180). A fourth interchange, the diverging diamond at St. Johns Heritage Parkway SE just north of Micco Road, opened with a ribbon cutting on August 11, 2020.
When will the I-95 resurfacing through Palm Bay finish?
FDOT project 448977-1 lists an estimated completion of Spring 2027 for the 24.1-mile resurfacing of I-95 from south of Malabar Road to north of Fiske Boulevard, a $63.3 million job that started in early 2025.
Is there a park and ride lot in Palm Bay?
Yes. 321Transit lists the Palm Bay Park and Ride Lot on Emerson Drive NW among the Park and Ride locations in Brevard County, and says Space Coast Area Transit Route 23 serves it.
Sources
- Public Works Projects, City of Palm Bay https://www.palmbayfl.gov/government/city-departments-f-to-z/public-works/projects Used for: GO Roads bond, phases, miles, road capacity projects, intersection designs, stormwater pipe work ahead of paving, Public Works phone
- Traffic Advisories, City of Palm Bay Public Works https://www.palmbayfl.gov/government/city-departments-f-to-z/public-works/traffic-advisories Used for: advisory list and email signup
- I-95 Interchange at St. Johns Heritage Parkway SE Now Open, City of Palm Bay https://www.palmbayfl.gov/parkway Used for: interchange opening August 11, 2020
- City of Palm Bay traffic advisory, I-95 ramp closures at U.S. 192 and Palm Bay Road (February 9, 2026) https://www.palmbayfl.gov/Home/Components/News/News/13339/17?arch=1 Used for: exit numbers 173, 176, 180
- FDOT 448977-1, I-95 from south of Malabar Road to north of Fiske Boulevard https://www.cflroads.com/project/448977-1 Used for: I-95 resurfacing length, cost, schedule, ramps, Minton Road pier barriers, Palm Bay Road C.R. 516
- FDOT 450729-1, Malabar Road (S.R. 514) from west of I-95 to east of Babcock Street (S.R. 507) https://www.cflroads.com/project/450729-1 Used for: Malabar Road resurfacing completed, length, cost, ADA ramps
- Space Coast TPO Advance 2050 LRTP, Appendix F needs list, page 2 (SIS) https://www.spacecoasttpo.com/home/showpublisheddocument/3052/639008738332770000#page=2 Used for: I-95 at SR 514 interchange safety improvements, I-95 widening Malabar Rd to Eau Gallie Blvd
- Space Coast TPO Advance 2050 LRTP, Appendix F needs list, page 3 https://www.spacecoasttpo.com/home/showpublisheddocument/3052/639008738332770000#page=3 Used for: Malabar Rd widening cost, Babcock St widening to 6 lanes
- 321Transit (Space Coast Area Transit) frequently asked questions, Palm Bay Park & Ride https://321transit.com/?p=349 Used for: Palm Bay Park & Ride Lot on Emerson Drive NW, Route 23
- 321Transit system map brochure, page 1 https://321transit.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SCAT2025_Mastermap_Brochure_Online.pdf#page=1 Used for: Palm Bay route names
- SCAT Bus Voucher Program, City of Palm Bay Housing Programs https://www.palmbayfl.gov/government/city-departments-f-to-z/housing-programs/scat-bus-voucher-program Used for: voucher program closed, reopening November 2026, 80% AMI
- Palm Bay Infrastructure Advisory and Oversight Board minutes, February 28, 2022, page 1 https://www.palmbayfl.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/25303/637835489745830000#page=1 Used for: City Hall Council Chambers at 120 Malabar Road SE (fact-check re-source)
