Atlantic City–Brigantine Connector

Atlantic City–Brigantine Connector.
The Atlantic City–Brigantine Connector is a connector freeway in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It is a 2.37-mile (3.81 km) extension of the Atlantic City Expressway, connecting it to Route 87 and Brigantine via the Marina district of Atlantic City. It is locally known as "the Tunnel" due to its tunnel underneath the Westside neighborhood. It is a state highway owned and operated by the South Jersey Transportation Authority. Proposals for a similar road date to 1964; planning began in 1995 after businessman Steve Wynn proposed a new casino in the Marina district. It was supported by Governor Christine Todd Whitman and Mayor Jim Whelan, but opposed by residents whose homes would be destroyed, and competing casino owner Donald Trump, who filed lawsuits. Its construction took almost three years and it opened in July 2001 at a total cost of $330 million. The connector serves up to 30,000 vehicles daily, and it has brought business to the casinos in the Marina district.