NJDOT announces a series of full closures on the Pulaski Skyway over eight weekends this spring

Installation of floor beams requires
closing the Skyway in both directions

(Trenton) - New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Jamie Fox today announced the Pulaski Skyway will be closed in both directions over the course of eight weekends this spring for the installation of floor beams as the rehabilitation of the historic 83-year-old bridge advances.

Beginning at 9 p.m. Friday, March 27, through 5 a.m. Monday, March 30, NJDOT’s contractor’s, CCA Civil Inc. and CCA Civil/Daidone Electric, Joint Venture are scheduled to close the Pulaski Skyway southbound at Tonnelle Circle for the removal and installation of floor beams that go across both the northbound and southbound travel lanes. The full closure includes all on and off ramps, including the southbound on ramp from Tonnelle Circle.

“While closing the Pulaski Skyway in both directions for a weekend creates an inconvenience, it is necessary to replace critical floor beams that span both the northbound and southbound lanes,” NJDOT Commissioner Jamie Fox said. “These weekend closures were always part of the plan and are similar to the full closure that was successfully done in the summer of 2013.”

A total of eight full weekend closures of the Skyway are scheduled to take place through the end of May. In addition to the installation of the full-span floor beams necessitating the closures, CCA Civil and CCA Civil/Daidone Electric, JV will take advantage of the southbound lane closure to stage equipment to install new deck panels on the northbound side of the Skyway along the entire length of the bridge. Additional weekend closures will be required for the project later in the year for reconstruction of the bridge decks in the area of Tonnelle Circle.

The following detours will be in place:

Southbound Traffic (toward Newark):

Leaving the Holland Tunnel, motorists will have the following options:

• Stay to the far right and take the NJ Turnpike-Hudson County Extension to all destinations west and south, including I-78.

• Stay to the left and follow signs for Route 139 West, then stay left to Route 1&9 Truck southbound towards Newark, Route 7 and I-280. 

• Motorists should avoid the ramp from Route 139/Covered Roadway that leads into the Tonnelle Circle because of expected heavy congestion. 

Local Traffic for Jersey City:

• Stay to the middle to take Route 139 Upper Roadway and follow signs to Kennedy Boulevard/Jersey City, to best access many local Jersey City locations and other points north (Secaucus).

Northbound Traffic (toward Jersey City):

Northbound traffic will continue to utilize the same Skyway alternate routes that have been in effect since the northbound lanes were closed last year:

• NJ Turnpike-Hudson County Extension
• Route 1&9 Truck northbound
• Communipaw Avenue to access local Jersey City Locations.

The floor beam replacement this weekend is part of Contract 3, which began in April 2014 when the Pulaski Skyway northbound lanes were closed to replace the existing deck of the 3.5-mile long structure that carries Route 1&9 traffic. Two southbound travel lanes will be maintained during this phase of the rehabilitation project. Future weekend closures to replace the remaining floor beams are part of Contract 4. The redecking of the Pulaski Skyway is being done in Contracts 3 and 4, and is expected to be completed in 2016.

The $1 billion Pulaski Skyway rehabilitation project 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.

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 project hotline telephone number, 973-776-7400, and email, Pulaski.Skyway@dot.nj.gov. Anyone who has questions, concerns, or suggestions is encouraged to contact the Project Outreach Team as work progresses.

NJDOT will be using Variable Message Signs to provide advance notification to motorists of traffic pattern changes associated with the work.  Follow us on Twitter @Skywayrehab and visit www.511nj.org for travel advisories.