MANCHESTER--A collection of state and local officials gathered to dedicate a major city bridge to the state's senior United States senator.

The naming of the Granite State Bridge after U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg (R-Rye) became the center of focus last week when the Manchester Board of Alderman voted 13-1 in favor of renaming the bridge after Gregg. The bridge will now serve as the new gateway into downtown Manchester and the project will be completely finished in the spring of 2009.

Manchester Alderman Peter Sullivan, the lone vote against naming the bridge after Gregg, argued that it should not be dedicated to someone who is still in elective office.

"Frankly, I am perplexed and disappointed that ten Democratic aldermen rolled over and played dead. Judd Gregg is not some sort of historical figure," Sullivan wrote on the website Blue Hampshire. "He is a living politician who has stated that he will be running for re-election in 2010. Apparently, Gregg's ability to play pork barrel politics overrides partisan concerns for some folks."

While, former New Hampshire Democratic Party chairwoman Kathy Sullivan told The Union Leader that it was Gregg's "job" to bring money back to the state and added. "I mean, big deal!"

Yet the politicians gathered on Thursday at Jillian's praised Gregg for getting money to approve the project and Democrats said that they had no problem naming the bridge after Gregg.

"There's a lot of people we have to thank but the person who helped get the purse was Judd Gregg," Manchester Alderman Mike Lopez told PolitickerNH.com. "Without him there's no way the city of Manchester could have afford to pay for this bridge."

Lopez also said, "Besides what's in a name? People are still going to call it the Granite State Bridge."

Gregg was scheduled to attend the dedication but could not because of the impeding vote in the U.S. Senate on a purposed bailout of American automobile companies.

Gov. John Lynch (D-Hopkinton) said that it was the city's decision to name to bridge after Gregg but said that he did not have a problem with naming it after Gregg.

"I think it's the prerogative of the people of Manchester who they want to name the bridge after," Lynch said. "I think it's an appropriate way to honor the work that Senator Gregg has done for the city."

Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta said that the 13-1 vote showed that the bridge's dedication crossed party lines and showed that the city wanted to honor Gregg.

"I appreciate that the Democratic aldermen on the board didn't use this as a political opportunity," he said.