Mr. Downs said several companies had expressed interest in commercial development of the plant.

Mr. Downs, 46, was paid $120,000 a year with the bridge authority.

"Players get a confidence level and a better feel if they are more familiar with a particular place on the field," Mr. Downs said.

Mr. Downs, the bridge authority president, said, "almost everybody is convinced that this started with something real."

Before the increase, Mr. Downs said, consumption had been dropping by 2 to 4 percent a year.

"The place is still alive with some of the energy he left behind," Mr. Downs said.

Mr. Downs said that the missing link was expected to carry an 51,560 vehicles a day by the year 2004.

Mr. Downs paid the owner $500 for the entire second-story floor - about 800 square feet.

If there was money left in those two funds, it would revert to Mr. Down.

Assuming 1,000 claims at $50 each, Mr. Down would pay $50,000 to the class.