PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh's North Shore Connector is moving forward and now has the city limits in sight.

Drilling for the tunnel, which will connect the North Shore to downtown under the Allegheny River, is less than 322 feet from Stanwix Street.

As a result, a portion of Stanwix Street between Fort Duquesne Boulevard and Penn Avenue will close beginning at 6 a.m. Monday.

The roadway will remain closed until Thursday, but will reopen in time for the July 4th holiday on Friday.

The Port Authority plans to set up a large screen TV near the pit so spectators can view the progress when the machine finally breaks through.

It will then turn around and bore its way back to the North Shore, creating a second underwater tunnel, likely by the end of the year.

The $435 million project is expected to be complete in 2011. Port Authority trolleys will use the tunnels to bring riders from downtown to the North Shore and back.