Photographs of Subway Tunnel Under Construction
Under Allegheny River from Pittsburgh's Downtown to North Side

Internet Web-Site Authored by Glenn A. Walsh gaw@planetarium.cc
Photographs by Ken Nagel
Tour of Construction by Members of Allegheny County Transit Council
Thursday Morning, 2008 August 7, 9:30 a.m. (EDST)

The following links provide high-quality digital photographs of the tour, given to members of the Allegheny County Transit Council, of the subway tunnel under construction under the Allegheny River from Gateway Center in Pittsburgh's Central Business District, to the Lower North Side between the Pittsburgh Pirates' PNC Park and the Pittsburgh Steelers' Heinz Field (construction project known as the "North Shore Connector"). The tour was of, and the pictures show, the first of the two twin tunnels to be bored--the inbound train tunnel. At the time of the tour, the boring of the inbound tunnel had been completed, and the boring of the outbound tunnel was scheduled to begin in the early Autumn; the boring machine was, at this time, located in the "receiving pit" under Stanwix Street, Downtown.

These high quality, digital photographs were taken by Allegheny County Transit Council member Ken Nagel.

When complete, the North Shore Connector will serve as a rapid transit extension of the Light Rail Transit subway from Downtown Pittsburgh's Golden Triangle. After the huge expense of providing a rapid transit link under the Allegheny River to the North Side (estimated cost of entire project: $552.8 million), further rapid transit connecting links to the North Side, Ohio Valley, Allegheny Valley, and North HIlls neighborhoods, and possibly even to Pittsburgh International Airport, become possible in the future.

However, until such additional extensions are completed, this first North Side extension will still serve several major institutions. Additionally, this rapid transit extension will serve the Mexican War Streets and Allegheny West residential and local business neighborhoods on the Lower North Side.

The North Side Subway Station, from which the tour began, will serve the Community College of Allegheny County (Allegheny Campus) , National Aviary , historic Buhl Planetarium and Old Allegheny Post Office buildings now used by the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh , historic Carnegie Library and New Hazlett Theater in Carnegie Hall (Library portion of building temporarily closed), Andy Warhol Museum , St. Peter's Catholic Church and Cardinal Wright Catholic Elementary School , Allegheny Traditional Academy and Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School , Allegheny Center office, retail, and apartment complex and Allegheny Public Square , North Shore office center and adjacent Federal Street business district, Allegheny Commons Park, PNC Park baseball stadium ( Pittsburgh Pirates ), and Heinz Field football stadium ( Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers ). An elevated Allegheny rail station will also serve the Heinz Field football stadium ( Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers ), as well as The Carnegie Science Center and U.S.S. Requin submarine, and the soon-to-open Rivers Casino.

The Allegheny County Transit Council (ACTC), a body of Port Authority Transit (PAT) rider volunteers, was formed in 1984 to provide advice to the Board of Directors and Administration of the Port Authority of Allegheny County, the public transit agency serving Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, and limited areas of adjoining Pennsylvania counties. With the enactment of legislation by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, ACTC became the State-designated citizen advisory body to the PAT Board of Directors and Administration in 1986.

Map of Alignment of Subway Extension from Downtown to North Side
Links to Additional Subway Extension Project Information

Tour Photographs -- Photographer: Ken Nagel

Beginning of tour at construction trailer - 1

Beginning of tour at construction trailer - 2

Beginning of tour at construction trailer - 3 (inside trailer)

Walk along rail transit alignment construction site

Part of North Side Subway Station construction - 1

Part of North Side Subway Station construction - 2

Metal tunnel frames, waiting for installation in subway tunnel - 1

Metal tunnel frames, waiting for installation in subway tunnel - 2

Construction steps leading down to tunnel portal

Inbound tunnel portal, North Side

Allegheny County Transit Council members about to enter tunnel

Allegheny County Transit Council members entering tunnel - 1

Allegheny County Transit Council members entering tunnel - 2

Just inside inbound tunnel portal, North Side

Continuing walk through tunnel, North Side to Downtown - 1

Continuing walk through tunnel, North Side to Downtown - 2 - nearing curve

Tour group nears Downtown portal of inbound tunnel

Tour group approaches Downtown portal of inbound tunnel

View of small portion of boring machine, at Downtown portal of inbound tunnel

Control apparatus of boring machine

Control console of boring machine

Return trip of tour group, through tunnel to North Side, begins - 1
(Tour group could not access Downtown streets from tunnel, due to boring machine configuration)

Return trip of tour group, through tunnel to North Side, begins - 2
(without benefit of flash photography)

Nearing curve on return trip

Passing curve on return trip

Continuing walk through tunnel, Downtown to North Side

Marker showing boundary between Allegheny River and north bank of river on North Side
(Actual river bank above tunnel)

Tour group reaches inbound tunnel portal, North Side

Walk through construction site, to return to construction trailer - 1

Walk through construction site, to return to construction trailer - 2

Walk through construction site, to return to construction trailer - 3

Walk through construction site, to return to construction trailer - 4
(PNC Park, Pittsburgh PIrates baseball stadium, in background)

Part of North Side Subway Station construction - 3

Part of North Side Subway Station construction - 4

North Shore Connector Rapid Transit Extension Project

PAT Purchase and Demolition of Carnegie Science Center Warehouse for Allegheny LRT Station

Casino Development Next to Carnegie Science Center

Port Authority of Allegheny County Web Site Links ---

North Shore Connector
North Shore Connector Facts
"The Bore to the Shore"
Project Benefits
Project Schedule
What's New
Project Map
Newsletters
FAQs
Contact Us
Construction Update
The Scoop Newsletter
Powerpoint Overview Presentation
Street Closures/Detours
Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Video
Emergency Construction Contact Information
Wayfinder Map - Gateway Center Impact Area
Special Savings/Offers by Gateway Center Area Merchants

Other Internet Web Sites of Interest

The Duquesne Incline, Pittsburgh

Public Transit - Pittsburgh

History of The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science, Pittsburgh

History of Andrew Carnegie and Carnegie Libraries

History of Astronomer, Educator, and Optician John A. Brashear of Pittsburgh