TOLLAND, CT — The Connecticut Department of Transportation Tuesday officially announced the opening of the new Route 74 Bridge in Tolland.

The project included the demolition and replacement of the 108-year-old span over the Skungamaug River.

“I’m a happy man today,” Tolland Town Manager Brian Foley said at the bridge site.

Foley admitted he was “a little worried” that the project, which began in October and involved an April road closure, would run into the school year because of weather delays. But there he was Tuesday helping to cut the ceremonial ribbon in anticipation of a 4 p.m. opening.

“Believe me, we had contingency plans and then contingency plans. Not only were we concerned over the bus schedule, but Route 74 is the main artery from Troop C to our schools and that’s not only state police but it’s our police force.”

The significance was not lost on CTDOT Transportation Construction Administrator John Dunham.

He said, “Replacing the Route 74 bridge in Tolland is crucial for ensuring the safety and reliability of the community’s transportation infrastructure. Projects of this size may seem small scale, but they have an outsized impact in our communities. Thank you to the town of Tolland and ROTHA Contracting for their hard work and dedication to complete this bridge replacement ahead of schedule and on budget.”

Dunham said 1,500 cars pass over the bridge each day.

“I can’t say ‘finally’ to the openening. I have to say ‘already,” Foley said. “Thankfully, the Connecticut Department of Transportation completed the project with plenty of summer vacation left. We thank Governor Lamont and Commissioner Eucalitto for replacing our bridge, and we thank all the staff and workers at CTDOT for completing so early. CTDOT didn’t just build a bridge, they also build confidence in this great state agency.”

Built in 1916, the Route 74 Bridge needed replacing after recent field inspections and an engineering analysis determined the bridge deck and superstructure were in poor condition, DOT officials said. Foley said the lay of the land on one side and the remnants of a historic sawmill on the other made a temporary bridge impossible and Route 74 thus has to be closed during construction.

State Rep. and Tolland resident Tammy Nuccio said she has “gone over this bridge a gazillion times” and admitted the closure could have been considered a major inconvenience. But the work was received well, she said.

“I have not received one complaint from a Tolland resident about the project,” she said.

The pre-bridge closure work for the project involved building temporary access roads for utility work and installing a portion of bridge foundations. Minor work remaining includes final utility relocation and applicable markings on the roadway.

The project (DOT Project No. 0142-0152) was awarded to ROTHA Contracting Company, Inc., at a cost of $4,947,742.23. The project was 80 percent funded by the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and 20 percent state-funded.

“We have fought hard to get projects like the bridge in this portion of the state,” State Sen. Jeff Gordon said. “It’s good to see this and a number of other projects getting these funds.”

Along with the 4 p.m. Tuesday opening, motorists can expect one-way alternating traffic on Route 74 (Tolland Stage Road) and Skungamaug Road until the remaining construction activities are completed, DOT officials said.