Why did Port Authority decide on building tunnels underneath the Allegheny River to extend the T to the North Shore?
Use of existing bridges, construction of new bridges and various tunnel alignments were all analyzed both in the MIS and the DEIS phases of the project. The goal was to select a river crossing which would provide the most effective connection between Downtown Pittsburgh and the North Shore while minimizing impacts to existing and future development. During the MIS, alignments utilizing the Roberto Clemente, Seventh Street and Ninth Street bridges were evaluated and dismissed due to their indirect routing, community opposition and unacceptable grades. Also, the alignments utilizing these bridges had impacts on traffic, historic bridges and new and existing development. Use of the upper deck of the Fort Wayne Railroad Bridge would have required relocating railroad operations, however an evaluation of the lower deck was warranted. A detailed analysis of the lower deck of the Fort Wayne Railroad Bridge later revealed that this structure was so deteriorated that it would prove to be too cos
