Port Canaveral reached a construction milestone on its new Cruise Terminal 6 East parking garage when a 600 square-foot, 36.7 ton pre-cast concrete wall section was lowered into place.

This marks the beginning of vertical construction on the 13 story facility, the port said in a press release.

The $93 million, 3,732 space garage is scheduled to open in fall 2026 and will serve passengers sailing from Cruise Terminals 5 and 6.

“Port Canaveral is not only the world’s busiest cruise port, but also one of the nation’s most convenient and easily accessible,” said John W. Murray, Port Canaveral chief executive officer.

“This new parking garage is an investment in our commitment to making Port Canaveral the best it can be for our valued cruise partners and their guests.”

Once the new garage opens, Port Canaveral will offer nearly 17,500 parking spaces across eight garages and surface lots portwide.

Approximately 80 percent of Port Canaveral passengers drive to their cruise.

The 1.2 million square-foot garage will feature eight extra-large elevators, twin two-lane vehicle ramps, two vehicle connecting bridges to the adjacent Cruise Terminal 6 west garage and a pedestrian bridge to the Cruise Terminal 5 entrance.

The design-build contract was awarded to Ivey’s Construction, based in Merritt Island, Florida, with pre-cast subcontractor Finfrock Construction of Apopka, Florida.

The garage project is part of the Port Canaveral Advantage, a capital improvement program that will see nearly $1 billion in enhancements over the next five years.

Additional projects include the expansion of Cruise Terminal 5, which is underway, and the expansion of Cruise Terminal 10 set to begin this fall.