Pulaski Skyway project advances as work begins
on Route 139 in Jersey City
NJDOT project will rehabilitate both the upper
and lower portions of the roadway

The $104 million Pulaski Contract 2 will repair and improve the upper and lower levels of Route 139. Route 139 links the eastern end of the Skyway to the Jersey City waterfront and the Holland Tunnel.

On Monday, September 30, NJDOT’s contractor, Schiavone Construction Company, is expected to close one of two lanes in each direction of the Route 139 lower roadway during overnight hours to remove the existing concrete barrier separating the eastbound and westbound lanes and to install a Concrete Barrier Curb Moveable System.

• Work will take place between 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. the next day, Monday through Thursday, and on Friday nights between 11:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. the following day.
• One travel lane will be maintained in each direction during the allowable work period, with two travel lanes available in each direction during all other hours.
• The upper roadway will not be affected by this phase of the construction.

Once the moveable barrier system is in place, the right lane of Route 139 lower level eastbound will be closed. Two of the three remaining travel lanes will be provided to motorists who are heading in the peak direction at all times.

• Two lanes will be available for motorists heading east (toward the Holland Tunnel) from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Monday through Friday.
• Two lanes will be available for motorists heading west, (from the Holland Tunnel toward Newark) from 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 11:00 p.m. on Fridays.
• Overnights, Monday through Thursday between 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. the next day, one lane will be maintained in each direction.
• On Friday and Saturday nights from 11:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. the following day, at least one lane will be maintained in each direction.
• On Saturdays, two lanes will be maintained for motorists heading west (toward Newark) between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 11 p.m.
• On Sundays, two travel lanes will be provided for motorists heading west (toward Newark) between the hours of 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Also on Sundays, between the hours of 2:30 p.m. and 11 p.m., two travel lanes will be provided to motorists heading east, (toward the Holland Tunnel).

Contract 2 will replace the deck on Route 139 upper level eastbound, which also is known as the Hoboken Viaduct, and replace five cross street bridges from Palisade Avenue to Kennedy Boulevard. The columns that support the upper roadway will be replaced and embedded into the rock to provide greater stability in the event of seismic activity. The retention wall on the north face also will be rehabilitated.

Other improvements to be carried out in Contract 2 of the Pulaski rehabilitation program include straightening out the Hoboken Viaduct near Palisade Avenue where it currently jogs to the left, as well as installing new sidewalks with ADA-compliant crosswalks and new traffic signals, and repaving both upper and lower levels of Route 139. A major phase of the project is the full redecking of the Conrail Viaduct, which is a short section of Route 139 lower level from approximately Kennedy Boulevard to Bevan Street that goes over railroad right of way. In addition, traffic will no longer be able to cross Route 139 at Bevan Street. This portion of the Skyway rehabilitation is expected to be complete by the end of 2016.

The work is associated with Contract 2 of the $1 billion project to rehabilitate the Pulaski Skyway, an 80-year-old elevated highway that carries 74,000 motor vehicles per day between Newark and Jersey City and serves as an express link for cars and buses to and from the Holland Tunnel. The massive improvement project will extend the life of the Skyway by 75 years.

NJDOT created a project-specific website, www.pulaskiskyway.com, which contains a wealth of information about the Skyway and the project.

The program, which is being advanced through 10 separate construction contracts into the year 2020, will transform the Skyway and Route 139 from its current poor condition into one that is in a state of good repair.

In January 2013, NJDOT announced a construction plan that will require a complete diversion of northbound motorists from the Skyway for approximately two years, starting after the Super Bowl in 2014, while the existing deck of the 3.5-mile long structure that carries Route 1&9 traffic is replaced. Two southbound travel lanes will be maintained during this phase of the rehabilitation project. Route 139, which is just east of the Skyway, will maintain one lower level travel lane east toward the Holland Tunnel and two travel lanes west toward Newark at all times (except nights and weekends) while the Pulaski Skyway northbound is closed.

The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. Motorists are encouraged to check www.511nj.org for real-time travel information.