Atlantic City–Brigantine Connector

The connector is a state highway owned and operated by the South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA); it has an unsigned designation of Route 446X.

It was supported by Governor Christine Todd Whitman and Mayor Jim Whelan, but faced major opposition during its planning.

Since its opening, the connector has served up to 30,000 vehicles daily, and affected the city's economy by bringing business to the casinos in the Marina district.

The purpose of the connector was to reduce traffic congestion and improve access to the Marina district and the neighboring city of Brigantine.

Because of a lack of funds and environmental concerns about construction near the adjacent wetlands, the connector project remained dormant until 1990 when plans for the road were included in a report by the city's Transportation Executive Council.

[13] A 1991 study found the project was environmentally feasible, and a route was proposed with a one-mile (1.6 km) elevated highway over the wetlands.

[15] Plans for the connector reemerged in 1995 following a proposal from real estate businessman and Mirage Resorts president Steve Wynn.

[17][18] He said he would only build if better road access was provided directly to the site, which prompted state officials to revive the connector plans.

[24] Its opponents described the project as an effort to destroy a community, while supporters claimed it was necessary to reduce traffic and create new jobs at the planned casino.

A group of 92 Westside homeowners filed a lawsuit against the company and the city claiming the tunnel construction would require the demolition of "their stable, black neighborhood" and create health concerns, thus violating their rights.

[32] Knowing that Wynn's casino would not be built without the connector, Trump also filed lawsuits against the use of state funds for the project.

[17] Trump criticized the connector as a state-funded "private driveway" to Wynn's casino, and denounced the funding as "corporate welfare" that unfairly favored an out-of-state company (Mirage) over those that had previously made business investments in the city.

[2][45] Since the tunnel runs adjacent to the Penrose Canal, groundwater was present five feet (1.5 m) below the bottom of the trench, requiring a dewatering process to complete the construction.

[43] Technology was installed to monitor traffic flow and control the tunnel ventilation, which automatically triggers jet fans if carbon monoxide levels become too high.

[46] In addition to the tunnel, the project included the construction of 16 overpasses, 15 ramps, and 23 retaining walls, plus landscaping, drainage, and the installation of variable-message signs.

[38][41] A promenade at Trump Marina was leveled to make way for new ramps, and 37 ornamental lampposts were dismantled and later shipped to the nearby Tuckerton Seaport, which opened in 2000.

[24] MGM Mirage took over the H-Tract site and renamed it Renaissance Pointe,[48] and developed plans for Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, which opened in 2003 after three years of construction.

[55] Initial traffic volume was lower than expected; the connector served only 11,000 to 12,000 vehicles per day during its first several months, which was attributed to a decline in travel following the September 11 terrorist attacks.

[56] However, traffic increased the following year, and the connector served up to 20,000 vehicles daily by July 2002, significantly higher than the original projections.

[57] Due to the opening of Borgata in 2003, annual traffic volume increased by 25 percent that year, serving 30,000 vehicles daily.

A three-lane freeway at an exit junction, with two green highway directional signs in the foreground and a skyline of hotels in the background.
The connector's southern terminus near the Atlantic City Expressway and exit A
A two-lane highway running through a tunnel. A green mile marker sign in the foreground reads NORTH / MILE 0.9
Construction of the tunnel under the Westside neighborhood required the demolition of nine homes.
A six-lane urban highway with a railroad grade crossing under a blue sky.
The connector includes a railroad grade crossing near the Atlantic City Rail Terminal , which was criticized for safety concerns.
A tall, reflective, bronze-colored hotel tower sits atop a smaller structure, next to a parking garage. A highway and city streets are visible in the background.
The opening of the connector helped establish Borgata , which opened in 2003. The connector's ramps are visible in the background.