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Heinz Field Concert Tests North Shore Connector

NORTH SHORE (KDKA) -- The Kenny Chesney-Tim McGraw concert at Heinz Field on Saturday proved to be a test for the Port Authority's North Shore Connector.

"It was larger than a sellout Pirates game type of event, so we were a little bit cautious going in," Port Authority spokesman Jim Ritchie said.

"We didn't want people waiting around too long outside the event," he added.

The crowd made its way down the Heinz Field ramps, posing a challenge the Port Authority's North Shore Connector had never faced and Port Authority police were concerned.

"They didn't want the platform to overcrowd," Ritchie explained. "They didn't want any safety issues on the platform."

The crowd snaked its way to the Allegheny station platform and the Port Authority hoped for no more than a half hour wait.

"Probably the longest wait any one experience following the concert was probably 12 to 15 minutes," Ritchie said.

And by sending a few trains empty to the North Side station under the General Robinson garage, no one was turned away.

All that said, the concert crowd was more of a drive to the site and party all day crowd with a heavy dose of folks from out of state, so the Port authority expects a heavier demand when everyone is wearing black and gold.

"We're going to be planning for probably more people using the same system than we had," Ritchie said.

The first real test at Heinz Field will come on August 19th when the Steelers play the Colts in the second preseason game.

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