North Shore Nightmare: Traffic, Parking Woes Expected Saturday

PITTSBURGH, PA - Getting around town Saturday promises to be challenging, particularly on the North Shore. The Pirates play the Miami Marlins at 1 p.m. at PNC Park, the the University of Pittsburgh plays Penn State at a sold-out Heinz Field at 8 p.m.

How best to navigate around the unavoidable traffic and parking nightmare? Here’s what Heinz Field management, Pitt, the Pirates and Alco Parking think you should know:

• Fans attending just the football game should not arrive on the North Shore until after 5 p.m. Fans will not be permitted into their pre-sold lots until this time. Those that have purchased parking for the Pirates game earlier in the day will be allowed to remain in the lots if they have an accompanying pre-sold Pitt parking pass.

• To assist with inbound and outbound traffic from the parking lots, Alco and Pittsburgh police will prohibit tailgating from from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. All vehicles without a pre-sold Pitt parking pass will need to exit the lots 30 minutes following the end of the Pirates game.

• The Clemente Bridge will close to vehicular traffic beginning at 10 a.m. for the Pirates game and will reopen to outgoing North Shore traffic only, 30 to 40 minutes following the final pitch of the game.

• The T will continue to provide service from the South Hills with service to the North Shore. The T also will continue to provide free service to and from Downtown. Fans are encouraged to park in one of the available Pittsburgh Parking Authority garages Downtown.

• Pittsburgh’s Public Safety Department said that law enforcement officials, in plainclothes and in uniform, will be present to enforce Director Wendell Hissrich’s zero-tolerance policy for disorderly conduct, fighting, public intoxication, underage drinking or any type of violence.

“In 2016 when Pitt and Penn State last played in Pittsburgh, fans were courteous and well-behaved,” Hissrich said. “We hope and anticipate that they will replicate that good behavior this year.”

Photo via Shutterstock.

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