JERSEY CITY — What was supposed to be a two-year repair on the Pulaski Skyway has apparently morphed into a three-year repair, according to state Transportation Commissioner Jamie Fox.
This is due to an unexpected level of deterioration and the estimated $1.8 billion price tag will increase by about $14 million to cover the additional work.
Reconstruction on the bridge started in early 2014, and was scheduled to be completed this April.
Workers discovered the additional deterioration when they removed the road bed, which revealed steel beams that have rusted away as a result exposure to rain, road salt and other factors.
Fortunately, the impact of the closure was not nearly as horrific as many feared when first proposed in 2014, with far less traffic backups than anticipated.
The Skyway, completed in 2014, connects Newark with Jersey City, although most experts claim that the roadway was out of date even when it first opened in 1932, partly because of its inability to handle trucks and other larger vehicles.
The Skyway, however, is seen as a vital piece in the overall traffic network, and its completion would help allow traffic to more easily access the Hudson County waterfront, but more importantly, it is a key approach to the Holland Tunnel and New York City.
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