Dozens of former and present New Hampshire elected officials and dignitaries as well as a group of Pearl Harbor veterans were among the hundreds of Granite Staters to attend the dedication ceremony for Raymond Wieczorek Drive, the highway linking the F.E. Everett Turnpike and Route 3 to the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.

Those who spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony included Gov. John Lynch, Rep. Frank Guinta, House Speaker William O'Brien, Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas and, of course, Raymond Wieczorek, a former five-term Manchester Mayor and current Executive Council member to whom the access road was dedicated.

The Merrimack High School marching band and choir also took part in the event.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, "The project, which will create a new, two-mile highway, will provide access to 1,000 acres of prime industrial and commercial land for economic development in Londonderry, New Hampshire. The total cost of the project is estimated at $175 million, of which $15 million is ARRA funded. According to NHDOT, the project has employed over 200 people and created 26 full-time jobs as a result of ARRA funding."

Several locals took advantage of the opportunity this morning to walk and bike the nearly two-mile stretch of highway, which opens to motor vehicle traffic tomorrow.