Pulaski Skyway to close to NY Bound traffic for two years starting in 2014

[storm2k]

I'm almost starting to wonder if it's time to have that bridge replaced. What really hurts is that the thing is on the National Register of Historic Places, and a New Jersey Registered Historic Place, and it's in that sorry a condition.

I've read that the price tag to make a new Skyway happen would be beyond prohibitive. Several billion at the least, and that's probably underestimating this. You're talking about a 3.5 mile elevated roadway with 2 high level river crossings. The billion and change that they're spending on rehabbing the existing roadway is a bargain in comparison.

[Alps]

There is a "new" Skyway already...honestly i consider the newark Bay Extension to be a secondary route for this, improve that road to take traffic off the existing skyway.

The Turnpike Extension isn't particularly in need of physical improvements. However so long as it is tolled and the Skyway is free, people will use the Skyway to shunpike. Only correcting this price imbalance will divert traffic off the Skyway.

The Turnpike Extension is definitely in need of improvements, foremost being complete structural overhaul due to having been built over 60 years ago. It also badly needs to be widened between the mainline and Exit 14A.

[roadman65]

I'm almost starting to wonder if it's time to have that bridge replaced. What really hurts is that the thing is on the National Register of Historic Places, and a New Jersey Registered Historic Place, and it's in that sorry a condition.

I've read that the price tag to make a new Skyway happen would be beyond prohibitive. Several billion at the least, and that's probably underestimating this. You're talking about a 3.5 mile elevated roadway with 2 high level river crossings. The billion and change that they're spending on rehabbing the existing roadway is a bargain in comparison.

They do not make roads like that anymore. 

Yes the road is very outdated, but its also all we got.  We have to learn to live with it.

[Pete from Boston]

There is a "new" Skyway already...honestly i consider the newark Bay Extension to be a secondary route for this, improve that road to take traffic off the existing skyway.

The Turnpike Extension isn't particularly in need of physical improvements. However so long as it is tolled and the Skyway is free, people will use the Skyway to shunpike. Only correcting this price imbalance will divert traffic off the Skyway.

The Turnpike Extension is definitely in need of improvements, foremost being complete structural overhaul due to having been built over 60 years ago. It also badly needs to be widened between the mainline and Exit 14A.

I was over the Turnpike Extension last weekend.  I don't know what work they're doing on the Newark Bay Bridge, but it must be important to be doing it on a day when the inbound Skyway is closed AND the Bayonne was closed.  A lane closed amid all these factors had predictable results–very long backups. 

I was surprised the shoulder doesn't open to traffic under those circumstances.  It's all electronic signage opening or closing it.  Shouldn't be too complicated to open.

[jeffandnicole]

There is a "new" Skyway already...honestly i consider the newark Bay Extension to be a secondary route for this, improve that road to take traffic off the existing skyway.

The Turnpike Extension isn't particularly in need of physical improvements. However so long as it is tolled and the Skyway is free, people will use the Skyway to shunpike. Only correcting this price imbalance will divert traffic off the Skyway.

The Turnpike Extension is definitely in need of improvements, foremost being complete structural overhaul due to having been built over 60 years ago. It also badly needs to be widened between the mainline and Exit 14A.

I was over the Turnpike Extension last weekend.  I don't know what work they're doing on the Newark Bay Bridge, but it must be important to be doing it on a day when the inbound Skyway is closed AND the Bayonne was closed.  A lane closed amid all these factors had predictable results—very long backups. 

I was surprised the shoulder doesn't open to traffic under those circumstances.  It's all electronic signage opening or closing it.  Shouldn't be too complicated to open.

I'm sure they can't go 2 or 3 years without any work on the bridge. 

As far as opening the shoulder, I'm not sure what they are permitted to do, based on the agreements in place.  Sometimes, intentionally slowing traffic down in a work zone is the desired result, especially if the construction workers have no barrier and limited room to work.

[jeffandnicole]

http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/about/press/2015/032415.shtm

Full Skyway closures coming up during several weekends this spring.

Okay, so this weekend is obviously the first, but what are the other seven? Is it simply the next eight weekends, i.e every weekend until May 16/17?

http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/about/press/2015/060515.shtm

This is the 6th full closure.  The original press release said 8 closures, concluding in May. Between weather delays, deciding (smartly) not to close it on Mother's Day weekend and whatever other reasons they had, it's running a little behind schedule.  Assuming the other 2 closures occur within the next few weekends, running a month late isn't terribly bad in the long run.

[jeffandnicole]

NJDOT updates their project website every month with a few new pics. This one from April shows the top deck of Rt. 139 gone, to be replaced soon.  The caption for the picture states "While the deck is off, motorists on Route 139 Lower Roadway can enjoy the daylight until the deck is replaced."  While they have daylight, I'm not sure they are enjoying the crawl thru the construction zone!

http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/commuter/roads/pulaski/photos5.shtm

[roadman65]

I see on NJDOT website they have all kinds of photos of the Pulaski Skyway project including an old photo of the SB exit ramp signage for Kearney exit.

Also for the present time those on NJ 139, get to be out in the open as workers dismantled the deck above that carried Upper level NJ 139 EB while they work on building new collumns for a new viaduct above.
https://instagram.com/pulaskiskyway/ 

[Pete from Boston]

I see on NJDOT website they have all kinds of photos of the Pulaski Skyway project including an old photo of the SB exit ramp signage for Kearney exit.

Also for the present time those on NJ 139, get to be out in the open as workers dismantled the deck above that carried Upper level NJ 139 EB while they work on building new collumns for a new viaduct above.
https://instagram.com/pulaskiskyway/

Oh my god, it's the UNCOVERED ROADWAY!

[jeffandnicole]

More weekend full closures throughout the summer now scheduled... http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/about/press/2015/071615.shtm

[NJRoadfan]

I figured the weekend closures would continue. They haven't been causing TOO much of a problem (I would hope), and they can get a heck of a lot more work done. When it comes time to rebuild the southbound side I'd assume the previous work they did with the cross beams would reduce construction time.

[Pete from Boston]

Man oh man, stay away from 1-9 South approaching Tonnele Circle during these closures.  I was headed across Belleville Turnpike the other day and it was a huge mistake with heavy backups nearly to County Rd. and all the way around the loop at what used to be Charlotte Circle.  Probably wasted 20 minutes there.

[NJRoadfan]

Man oh man, stay away from 1-9 South approaching Tonnele Circle during these closures.  I was headed across Belleville Turnpike the other day and it was a huge mistake with heavy backups nearly to County Rd. and all the way around the loop at what used to be Charlotte Circle.  Probably wasted 20 minutes there.

Prior to the reconstruction of the Charlotte Circle area, backups on Tonnele Ave. south going into the circle were commonplace (I've been stuck in it many times). If its only that bad with the Skyway closed, I'm actually impressed.

[Pete from Boston]

It also looks like the new Wittpenn Bridge will launch off that new loop, which would have relieved a measure of that traffic.

[NJRoadfan]

Looks like the Streetview car got a look at the UNCovered Roadway: https://goo.gl/maps/kPzgp

Southbound Truck 1&9 isn't as bad as northbound, mostly because one doesn't have to deal with that left turn at 440/Communipaw Ave. and can bypass Tonnele circle from NJ-139.

[ixnay]

Funny how Tom Kaminski refers to "One-Nine" throughout their multiplex but mentions "the 46 approach" to the GWB when it's actually the 1-9-46 approach.  At least he gets 80-95 right in that context...

ixnay

[Pete from Boston]

Funny how Tom Kaminski refers to "One-Nine" throughout their multiplex but mentions "the 46 approach" to the GWB when it's actually the 1-9-46 approach.  At least he gets 80-95 right in that context...

ixnay

It's a straight through shot for 46, so it "feels" more like 46 than it does 1-9, which enters via prosaic little ramps from Broad Ave.  1-9 in general is not a through route at this point in the way 46 is.

[NJRoadfan]

Most of the on-ramps on 1-9-46 only have US-46 shields for some reason.

[Kacie Jane]

We're talking decades ago, but is there a possibility that it's called the "46 approach" because it was originally only 46, and 1/9 were added to that stretch of road later?

Otherwise, what Pete said.

[Alps]

We're talking decades ago, but is there a possibility that it's called the "46 approach" because it was originally only 46, and 1/9 were added to that stretch of road later?

Otherwise, what Pete said.

Nope. 1/9 originally went through the Holland Tunnel, but 46 followed what's now NJ 5 to Edgewater. By the time the GWB was built in 1939-1940, US 9 was sent up that way and joined US 46 where it does now. US 1 followed shortly thereafter.

[NE2]

Nope. 1/9 originally went through the Holland Tunnel, but 46 followed what's now NJ 5 to Edgewater. By the time the GWB was built in 1939-1940, US 9 was sent up that way and joined US 46 where it does now. US 1 followed shortly thereafter.

The GWB opened in 1931. By 1934 (when they were finally posted in NYC) US 1-9 crossed it. US 46 was created several years later.

But the road is logically part of US 46.

[Pete from Boston]

We're talking decades ago, but is there a possibility that it's called the "46 approach" because it was originally only 46, and 1/9 were added to that stretch of road later?

Otherwise, what Pete said.

Nope. 1/9 originally went through the Holland Tunnel, but 46 followed what's now NJ 5 to Edgewater. By the time the GWB was built in 1939-1940, US 9 was sent up that way and joined US 46 where it does now. US 1 followed shortly thereafter.

The GW was finished in 1931.  Is the reference simply from 1939, or was 9 moved then?

[roadman65]

Looks like the Streetview car got a look at the UNCovered Roadway: https://goo.gl/maps/kPzgp.

They also got this of people making Left Turns where there are clearly two signs saying No Left or U Turn both before and after the intersection.  Anyway, like the temporary (or what seems to be temporary) roadway to the south (or SW being NJ 139 runs SE to NW) while the normal EB upper level roadway is taken apart exposing the lower level to the sun and sky.
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.731877,-74.052939,3a,75y,146.54h,62.24t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sJXmolXIXW_FB_ieAbggnMQ!2e0!7i13312!8i665

[jeffandnicole]

Looks like the Streetview car got a look at the UNCovered Roadway: https://goo.gl/maps/kPzgp.

They also got this of people making Left Turns where there are clearly two signs saying No Left or U Turn both before and after the intersection.  Anyway, like the temporary (or what seems to be temporary) roadway to the south (or SW being NJ 139 runs SE to NW) while the normal EB upper level roadway is taken apart exposing the lower level to the sun and sky.
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.731877,-74.052939,3a,75y,146.54h,62.24t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sJXmolXIXW_FB_ieAbggnMQ!2e0!7i13312!8i665

I'm guessing they don't want you turning because of the lack of storage room, but clearly when people think the restriction is stupid, they're not going to obey it.

[roadman65]

Looks like the Streetview car got a look at the UNCovered Roadway: https://goo.gl/maps/kPzgp.

They also got this of people making Left Turns where there are clearly two signs saying No Left or U Turn both before and after the intersection.  Anyway, like the temporary (or what seems to be temporary) roadway to the south (or SW being NJ 139 runs SE to NW) while the normal EB upper level roadway is taken apart exposing the lower level to the sun and sky.
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.731877,-74.052939,3a,75y,146.54h,62.24t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sJXmolXIXW_FB_ieAbggnMQ!2e0!7i13312!8i665

I'm guessing they don't want you turning because of the lack of storage room, but clearly when people think the restriction is stupid, they're not going to obey it.

Absolutely.