Pulaski Skyway southbound traffic
to shift next week as middle portion
of the northbound lanes are completed

Crossover will require a full weekend closure

(Trenton) - New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today announced that southbound traffic on the Pulaski Skyway is scheduled to be shifted completely onto the newly finished northbound lanes between the Hackensack River and Passaic River this weekend, as the rehabilitation of the historic 84-year-old bridge advances.

In order to set up the crossover, the Skyway will be closed in both directions beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday, June 11 through 3 p.m. Sunday, June 12. The full closure includes most on and off ramps, including the southbound on ramp from Tonnele Circle. The ramp from Route 139 west to I-280/Route 7 and Route 1&9 southbound will remain open. 

In addition, the Skyway will have a single lane closure in the southbound direction from 11 p.m. tonight, Friday, June 10 to 7 a.m. Saturday, June 11 and again from 3 p.m. Sunday, June 12 until 5 a.m. Monday, June 13.

Before the morning commute on Monday, southbound traffic will be shifted completely to the northbound lanes from just before the Broadway Ramp through the end of the Skyway where traffic will merge back onto Route 1&9 southbound.

On April 4, southbound traffic was shifted to two sections of the completed northbound lanes with work continuing between the Hackensack and Passaic Rivers. With the completion of work this weekend, southbound traffic will be shifted once onto the northbound lanes through the end of the Skyway, eliminating the need for traffic to shift back to the southbound lanes. Motorists are reminded to slow down and use caution as they get accustomed to the new traffic pattern.

This milestone represents the completion of Contract 3, which replaced steel beams and redecked three miles of the northbound lanes. Work on Contract 4, which is the redecking of the remaining half-mile of the northbound lanes and the entire southbound length of the Skyway, is continuing and is expected to be completed by the summer 2017.  

Raymond Boulevard Exit Closure
As a reminder, in conjunction with the crossover that was implemented in April, the Raymond Boulevard exit in Newark will continue to be closed for the duration of the project. The following detour will be in place:

Raymond Boulevard Exit Detour
Southbound Skyway traffic will continue on Route 1&9 southbound to the Wilson Avenue exit. Motorists will need to be in the local lanes and then take Wilson Avenue eastbound past the New Jersey Turnpike to Doremus Avenue northbound to Raymond Boulevard.

Full Closure Detours (7 a.m. Saturday, June 11 through 3 p.m. Sunday, June 12):

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 Tonnele 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:

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

For options showing alternate routes to help motorists navigate the closures, NJDOT has created a video, which can be found on the NJDOT YouTube channel.

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.