The ribbon was officially cut on the new Sligo Bridge Friday.

Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer was joined by state and local officials to celebrate the official completion of the project. The $38.9-million bridge is .8 mile long and 45 feet wide, and replaces the former 24-foot wide structure, which had been standing since 1948.

The new structure is 101 feet over the water, and the bridge depth below the water is 167 feet. Over 11,000 cubic yards of concrete and two million pounds of steel reinforcement were used on the bridge.

"We are very pleased to be here today to celebrate the completion of this important project with our state and local partners and the citizens of DeKalb County," said Schroer. "This bridge is very important to the region, and it will also make this area much safer and will benefit all motorists and area residents."

"This is a great day to finally be able to do a ribbon cutting on this bridge," State Senator Mae Beavers told the assembly at the ceremony. "I’ve said we had to get Terri Lynn elected to finally get it done. She has done a great job in helping with it. We hope you enjoy it and that everybody up here is satisfied for a while," she said.

"It's a great day to be here today" said State Representative Terri Lynn Weaver. "Everyone around here has a part of this. We're all team players and this is what happens when we are all on the same page. We have an amazing bridge and places to park."

"I would like to recognize the former County Mayor Mike Foster and the county commission, who did a lot of work and had a lot of discussions to help get this bridge project done," said County Mayor Tim Stribling. "I am very proud and thankful for TDOT's $39 million dollar investment in DeKalb County. This will have an economic impact in DeKalb County for many years to come."

"These bridges feed Smithville," said Smithville Mayor Jimmy Poss. "We're fortunate to have two new bridges here, and we're very thankful that the money has been invested in DeKalb County."

Bids for the new bridge opened April 5, 2013, and work began on the project on May 28, 2013. A major milestone in the construction of the new bridge occurred in August of last year, when traffic was shifted onto the newly-constructed bridge. This allowed the contractor to begin demolition of the old truss bridge, a task that took over a month. Demolition began on Sept. 15, and after several rounds of demolition, the remaining piers were demolished on Oct. 20.

The project also included the construction of three retaining walls. The new bridge has a wider substructure for future expansion, a design that is not possible on a truss bridge. Massman Construction Co., Inc. of Kansas City, Missouri was prime contractor for the project, which was completed several months ahead of the June 30 completion date.