One of the three bidders for the Pittsburgh casino plans to challenge a local task force's conclusions about possible traffic woes at its North Shore location during a hearing before the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

PITG Gaming LLC has filed notice that it intends to dispute the traffic concerns raised by the Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force in an Oct. 19 letter to the gaming control board, which will award the license of the city slot machine casino.

The task force, a volunteer group appointed by former Mayor Tom Murphy, said it had concerns about the traffic impact of PITG Gaming's Majestic Star casino location slightly west of Carnegie Science Center, particularly as it relates to games at Heinz Field and PNC Park.

"Our positive evaluation of the Majestic Star proposal is qualified by the unresolved traffic concerns. The North Side neighborhood where the proposed casino would be located is strongly impacted by heavy traffic uses on certain days because of sporting events," it stated in the letter.

It also said PITG Gaming may have the "most problematic site," in part because the "road system around the proposed casino requires significant alteration."

However, PITG Gaming has long believed it has the best of the three sites for the casino as it relates to traffic, given the proximity of Interstate 279, the West End Bridge, and Route 51.

It plans to make that case during state licensing hearings for the Pittsburgh casino Nov. 20 and 21.

"I don't think [Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force members] did a thorough analysis of the three traffic studies because they obviously came to the wrong conclusions," PITG Gaming spokesman Bob Oltmanns said.

Contrary to the task force, PITG does not believe there are any unresolved traffic concerns, he added. At the hearings, it will make detailed side-by-side comparisons of the three casino sites as they relate to traffic, he said.

Anne Swager, co-chair of the Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force, said she's pleased PITG Gaming will take time to address the matter.

"I'm encouraged that they believe they have answers to the traffic issues, and I'm anxious to see them," she said.

Another bidder, Forest City Enterprises, also filed notice that it intends to present comparative evidence as part of its hearing. It is proposing a casino at Station Square in conjunction with Harrah's Entertainment.

Spokesman Abe Naparstek declined to say what issues Forest City will raise. The other bidder, Isle of Capri, with a proposed lower Hill casino, did not file such a notice.