North Shore Connector

Map highlighting the North Shore Connector. Allegheny Station and North Side Station were newly constructed as part of the Connector project, while Gateway Station was completely reconstructed.
North Shore Connector Tunnel
Overview
Line
LocationPittsburgh
Coordinates40°26′41″N 80°00′22″W / 40.4446°N 80.006°W / 40.4446; -80.006
SystemPittsburgh Light Rail
CrossesAllegheny River
Operation
Work begunJanuary 2008 (2008-01)[citation needed]
OpenedMarch 25, 2012 (2012-03-25)[citation needed]
OperatorPort Authority of Allegheny County
Technical
Length2,240 feet (680 m)[1]
Line length1.2 miles (1.9 km)[citation needed]
No. of tracks2
Track gauge5 ft 2+12 in (1,588 mm)

The North Shore Connector is a light-rail extension opened in 2012 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The connector extends the Pittsburgh Light Rail system from its previous terminus at Gateway Center Station in the Central Business District to the new North Side Station and Allegheny Station on the North Shore by way of a tunnel under the Allegheny River. The Connector extends the light rail system's "Free Fare Zone", enabling passengers to ride to and from Pittsburgh's rapidly growing North Shore neighborhood for free.

Planned since the late 1990s, the North Shore Connector received federal funding on February 6, 2004 and had crews complete the initial bore under the river on July 10, 2008. The Connector had a "soft opening" on Friday, March 23, 2012, with regular service beginning March 25, 2012.[2] The final cost of the project was $523.4 million.[3]

  1. ^ "North Shore Connector - Light Rail/Subway Expansion | SAI Consulting Engineers". Archived from the original on January 18, 2017. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  2. ^ Born, Molly (March 24, 2012). "North Shore Connector set to go after 18 years and $523 million". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
  3. ^ Schmitz, Jon (March 12, 2012). "Trains ready to roll under the river to North Shore". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved March 21, 2012.