Route 139 lower level to be closed
in both directions Friday and Saturday
as part of Pulaski Contract 2

All traffic will be detoured onto Route 139 upper level

(Trenton) - New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced Route 139 lower level will be closed in both directions Friday night and Saturday with traffic shifted to Route 139 upper level as part of the Pulaski Skyway Contract 2. Oakland Avenue Bridge over Route 139 will also be closed long term until late spring starting the night of Friday, January 16 for a full bridge replacement. Traffic will be detoured to the adjacent cross streets.

Beginning at 11 p.m. Friday, January 16, the lower level of Route 139 will be closed in both directions until 2 p.m. Saturday, January 17 for the demolition of the Oakland Avenue Bridge. The upper level of Route 139 will be open in both directions during the full lower level closure.

The following detours will be in place:

• Traffic heading toward Newark and points south and west are encouraged to use the New Jersey Turnpike Extension.

• Westbound Cars and Trucks:
  Traffic will be diverted to the upper level of Route 139 westbound to JFK Boulevard, where it will be directed to turn left and then to the first right onto the ramp leading to Tonnelle Circle. From there Cars can access the Pulaski Skyway southbound and Route 1&9 Truck Northbound. All other traffic heading to Route 1&9 Truck or Route 7 will take Route 1&9 northbound to the Country Road jughandle and turn left onto Manhattan Avenue eastbound. At the next light, traffic will turn right onto Route 1&9 southbound to the ramp for Route 1&9 Truck and Route 7.

• Eastbound Cars:
  Traffic will be diverted from Tonnelle Circle to Tonnelle Avenue southbound, where it will be directed to turn left onto St. Paul’s Avenue and then left onto JFK Boulevard to Route 139 upper level eastbound.

• Eastbound Trucks:
  Trucks will be directed South on Route 1&9 Truck to the Virginia Ave Jughandle to use Communipaw Avenue eastbound where they will be directed to turn left onto JFK Boulevard to Route 139 upper level eastbound.

• Oakland Avenue northbound
  Northbound traffic traveling on Oakland Avenue will turn right onto Washburn Avenue then left onto Baldwin Avenue. Traffic will stay on Baldwin Avenue and turn left onto St. Paul's Avenue and then be able to turn left or right onto Oakland Avenue.

• Oakland Avenue southbound
  Southbound traffic traveling on Oakland Avenue will make a right onto Route 139 westbound then turn left onto Central Avenue. Once across Route 139 traffic may turn left or right onto Hoboken Avenue.

• Hoboken Avenue eastbound to Oakland Avenue northbound
  Traffic traveling Eastbound on Hoboken Avenue will turn left onto Central Avenue. Once across Route 139 traffic may turn a right onto Fleet Street and then traffic may turn right or left onto Oakland Avenue.

This work is part of the $104 million Pulaski Contract 2, which will repair and improve the upper and lower levels of Route 139. Route 139 links the eastern end of the Pulaski Skyway to the Jersey City waterfront and the Holland Tunnel. During this contract, the deck on Route 139 upper level eastbound will be replaced, along with five cross street bridges from Palisade Avenue to Kennedy Boulevard.

Contract 2 is part of the $1 billion Pulaski Skyway rehabilitation project, which is being advanced through 10 separate construction contracts into the year 2020. The massive improvement project will extend the life of the Skyway by 75 years.

In April 2014, NJDOT began Contract 3, which is the closure of the Pulaski Skyway northbound lanes for two years 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.

NJDOT created a project-specific website - www.pulaskiskyway.com - which contains a wealth of information about the Skyway and the project, and will be updated with relevant new information as work progresses. The Department is carefully coordinating the Pulaski Skyway project with other regional transportation infrastructure projects to minimize traffic congestion.

The Department has a hotline telephone number, 973-776-7400, and encourages anyone who has questions, concerns or suggestions to contact the Project Outreach Team as work progresses.

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