North Shore Connector: Positives (Pittsburgh, Carnegie: hotels, neighborhood, construction)

[nuwaver88]

We have discussed enough on these pages how the North shore Conector is a "waste of money' or a "sweetheart deal" or that it "makes no sense."
It is hard to to deny any of these arguments, but since it will be up and running in about twenty months, let's look at the positives that it might bring since you cannot do anything about the fact that it is here for the long term.
This will allow people that are staying in Downtown hotels to have quick access to North Shore attractions like the stadiums, the Carnegie Science Center and the Rivers Casino. It will also allow for much quicker access from Station Square to the North Shore. This will help CCAC and the nearby neighborhood of Allegheny West in it's quest to expand .

[creepsinc]

I just read somewhere that the Clemente bridge was built with supports that have an arch at the bottom to accommodate a future subway tunnel under the river. So, they finally get around to doing it and it doesn't even go under the Clemente bridge!

As for something positive: even though the money could have been spent on something more needed, like even an extension to the Strip, it's not like nobody's going to use it when it gets finished. Never underestimate the laziness of the general public and look for more business on the North Shore.

[jimmyev]

Originally Posted by creepsinc

I just read somewhere that the Clemente bridge was built with supports that have an arch at the bottom to accommodate a future subway tunnel under the river. So, they finally get around to doing it and it doesn't even go under the Clemente bridge!

The Sixth, Seventh and Ninth Street Bridges are identical. All three originally carried trolleys, but the trolleys were converted to additional lanes for traffic.

[creepsinc]

Originally Posted by jimmyev

The Sixth, Seventh and Ninth Street Bridges are identical. All three originally carried trolleys, but the trolleys were converted to additional lanes for traffic.

That's all true, but what I read involved the arches at the base of the supports underwater, for a future underwater tunnel. Actually, underwater and underground.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Clemente_Bridge

"The Sixth Street Bridge's piers were built with arched openings beneath the river bed in order to accommodate future subway tunnels, following the recommendation of transportation planner Bion J. Arnold.[1] The North Shore Connector tunnels under construction in 2009 did not make use of this provision, but were bored further west (downstream) and do not pass beneath the bridge."

[jimmyev]

Originally Posted by creepsinc

That's all true, but what I read involved the arches at the base of the supports underwater, for a future underwater tunnel. Actually, underwater and underground.


Roberto Clemente Bridge - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The Sixth Street Bridge's piers were built with arched openings beneath the river bed in order to accommodate future subway tunnels, following the recommendation of transportation planner Bion J. Arnold.[1] The North Shore Connector tunnels under construction in 2009 did not make use of this provision, but were bored further west (downstream) and do not pass beneath the bridge."

Cool. The tunnel is shown in one of the engineering drawings as "proposed subway tunnel." It's not even mentioned in the NRHP narrative for the bridge. I wonder if the Seventh and Ninth Street Bridges also have one...

[BrianTH]

I definitely think it will help contract the "mental map" space between Downtown and the North Shore, particularly for visitors.

It should allow for more of the North Shore to be used for everyday activities, and less to be reserved for gameday parking.

These are not small things in my view.

[grimacista]

The viaduct between Heinz Field and the parking garage should make Pittsburgh and its transportation infrastructure look 'modern' to outsiders visiting the area.

[bbrian12]

kinda neat that they planned for a tunnel under the river when they built the bridge in 1928
now thats pre-palnning.

[Jrn14]

I think this will be awesome when completed... I just wish it was around when I was at CCAC. I think this will really bring more people into town and the North Shore who live along the T-line. I think families will be more inclined to go to Pirates game and visit the Science Center knowing Parking is not an issue.

[ditchdigger]

It's silly to fault today's planners for not using something that was pre-planned prior to 1928. Today's city, and what makes sense for it, are not necessarily at all similar to anything that might reasonably have been anticipated at that time. (It certainly would've been interesting to see how differently things might have evolved had that pre-planned subway been built though.)

Hopefully, in a hundred years our heirs will be praising the visionaries that pushed for the existing tunnel.