The new Boombridge Road Bridge got a hoof-ful ahead of a ceremony Wednesday to celebrate its completion.

The bridge, which connects North Stonington and Westerly over the Pawcatuck River, has been closed since 2008 and opens to the public Thursday morning. But on Wednesday, its first traffic was a herd of cows from the Beriah Lewis Farm.

"We thought this would just be a fun, creative, way to commemorate this reopening in a time of COVID-19," North Stonington First Selectman Mike Urgo said.

"This (bridge) makes every day a lot less challenging," said Ledyard Lewis, co-owner of the farm, which spans both sides of the river.

The project, which was estimated under $3 million, involved removing the existing bridge, reconstructing the approaches on both sides and then building a new bridge that stands 24 feet wide and 122 feet long.