According to the "Las Vegas Sun", "more than a dozen" lawsuits were filed over the connector project. The lawsuit by the Westside homeowners was eventually dismissed by a federal judge in February 1998. Trump's legal battles against the project lasted four years; he dropped them in February 2001 in exchange for a settlement that would include a new exit ramp from the connector to the Trump Marina. Trump agreed to pay half the ramp's $12 million cost. A group of New Jersey mayors who also opposed the project and 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.