Excavation of the tunnel, using the cut and cover method, began in May 1999. The nine homes were demolished and a trench was dug down to deep. A total of dirt was removed, most of which was reused to construct ramps at other sites on the connector. of reinforced concrete was poured to form the tunnel walls, 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 just below the bottom of the trench, requiring a dewatering process to complete the construction. Intelligent transportation system technology was installed to monitor traffic flow and control the tunnel ventilation, automatically triggering jet fans if carbon monoxide levels became too high.