The Atlantic City–Brigantine Connector (A.C.–Brigantine Connector), officially the Atlantic City Expressway Connector, It is a toll-free extension of the tolled Atlantic City Expressway (A.C. Expressway) and serves as a connector between the expressway and Route 87 near Brigantine. The connector averages two lanes per direction and has a posted speed limit of . The northernmost serves northbound traffic only, whereas southbound traffic travels along the parallel Route 87. Exits along the route are assigned by letter from A to I. It is designated by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) as a state highway, unsigned Route 446X, which is part of the National Highway System. The freeway is owned and operated by the SJTA. North of the tunnel is a southbound on-ramp from Route 87, followed by an interchange with U.S. Route 30 (US 30) via Route 187. After the US 30 interchange, the freeway continues for northbound traffic only, with an exit that serves as a U-turn to the southbound connector, an exit to Borgata and MGM Tower, and an exit to the Farley Marina and Golden Nugget Atlantic City. The final exit ramp leads to Harrah's Atlantic City, after which the northbound connector terminates as it merges onto Route 87 northbound, which continues into Brigantine via the Brigantine Bridge.
History
Initial proposals
The A.C. Expressway was built from 1962 to 1965, connecting the Philadelphia metropolitan area with the Jersey Shore resort city of Atlantic City. During construction in 1964, the Atlantic City Planning Board proposed the Route 30 Connector, a connector road linking the end of the expressway in Midtown Atlantic City with US 30. 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. A 1991 study found the project was environmentally feasible, and a route was proposed with a elevated highway over the wetlands. Construction costs were estimated at $80 million, but due to a continuing lack of funds and the complexity of constructing above the wetlands, the project was again postponed. Wynn obtained the property from the city following his proposal to construct Le Jardin, a $1 billion casino resort. 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.
Governor Christine Todd Whitman created a transportation task force in September 1995 to consider options. It studied 11 alternative routes, including elevated highways, tunnels, and improvements to existing streets. In March 1996, the task force determined that the best alternative was the Westside Bypass route, which included a highway along the western shore of the city with a tunnel under the Westside neighborhood. Whitman formally adopted the task force's recommendation in July 1996, which ensured that the alternative would be built. Nine existing homes along Horace J. Bryant Jr. Drive would be demolished for the construction of the tunnel. was approved in January 1997. The total cost of the project was $330 million (equivalent to $ million in ). To fund the project, Mirage Resorts paid $110 million, with the remainder coming from state funds from the SJTA ($60 million), the Transportation Trust Fund ($95 million), and the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority ($65 million). 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. Atlantic City Mayor Jim Whelan, a supporter, felt the project would benefit the city.
Donald Trump, the chairman of Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts at the time, was also opposed to the connector, and paid the Westside residents' legal bills. 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. According to Whelan, Trump "didn't want the competition" with his three existing Atlantic City casinos, He claimed that the tunnel would have "immense environmental impacts", Mirage and Wynn retaliated by filing an antitrust lawsuit against Trump Hotels alleging that the company's only goal was to prevent the Mirage resort from being built. A group of New Jersey mayors who also opposed the project filed suit to block "an inappropriate use of state funds". Their lawsuit was also dismissed; the court found the construction of the connector necessary whether the casino was built or not.
Construction
Construction bids for the design–build contract of the Atlantic City–Brigantine Connector were submitted to the SJTA in July 1997. The contract was awarded to the joint venture of Yonkers Contracting Company and Granite Construction who served as the general contractors. At the time of inception, the connector was the largest design–build project performed by the State of New Jersey. Completion was originally scheduled for May 2001. and a concrete roof was constructed on top of the tunnel where the homes once stood; the site was later turned into a neighborhood park. Since the tunnel runs adjacent to the Penrose Canal, groundwater was present below the bottom of the trench, requiring a dewatering process to complete the construction. Technology was installed to monitor traffic flow and control the tunnel ventilation, which automatically triggers jet fans if carbon monoxide levels become too high. Workers also relocated public utility infrastructure, shifted of railroad tracks, rebuilt of bulkhead, and demolished a pumping station, a warehouse, and portions of a power station. 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. To avoid disruptions in the neighborhood, construction materials were delivered by barge, and construction vehicles did not travel along any local streets. and developed plans for Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, which opened in 2003 after three years of construction.
Opening
thumb|The opening of the connector helped establish [[Borgata, which opened in 2003. The connector's ramps are visible in the background.|alt=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.]]
A shortage of materials and delivery issues in late 2000 delayed the connector's opening from May to July 2001. The grand opening ceremony took place on July 27, with festivities including a pedestrian tunnel walk. The connector was expected to open to traffic that evening, but due to last-minute malfunctions with the tunnel's emergency communication system, it did not open to vehicles until July 31. Upon opening, the freeway was formally named the Atlantic City Expressway Connector, although it is called "the Tunnel" by locals. The ramp across Huron Avenue (Route 87) connecting Borgata to Trump Marina opened in 2003, which marked the completion of the connector project.
Once the connector opened, travel times between the Midtown and the Marina districts fell from fifteen minutes to four. 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. 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. Due to the opening of Borgata in 2003, annual traffic volume increased by 25 percent that year, serving 30,000 vehicles daily. Whelan said "the impact of the [connector] project is undeniable" in improving traffic flow in the city and access to Brigantine.
The connector also affected the city's economy and casino industry. Whelan credited the project for bringing Borgata, which has since become the city's top-grossing casino. State records from 2016 showed that the three casinos in the Marina district had an average annual gross revenue of $134 million, compared to $70 million for the casinos along the Atlantic City Boardwalk. Transportation analyst and former SJTA executive Anthony Marino cited the connector's ease of access to the Marina district casinos as a factor in their success and a challenge for boardwalk casinos; Whelan said it forced boardwalk casinos to reevaluate their business models.