PITTSBURGH -- The Port Authority of Allegheny County said the North Shore Connector's tunnel boring machine successfully completed the tunnel mining portion of the $435 million project on time and on budget.

The project is extending the city's 25-mile light rail system by 1.2 miles to connect downtown to the neighborhood that is home to Heinz Field, PNC Park, museums, and soon, a slots casino.

Since mining of the second tunnel under the Allegheny River began on Oct. 14, the 500-ton machine advanced about 34 feet per day, working its way from the receiving pit located under Stanwix Street, under Fort Duquesne Boulevard, the Tenth Street Bypass, the Allegheny River and finally ending its tunneling mission when it reached the launch pit located directly adjacent to PNC Park.

"Mining two tunnels in a tight urban setting was a complex task, to say the least," said Port Authority Rail Operations and Engineering officer Winston Simmonds.

Over the next several weeks, crews will carefully maneuver the machine out of the tunnel and disassemble it. The machine will be returned to its manufacturer in Germany.