Metro

HIGHWAY HEADACHE: Pulaski Skyway to close for 2 years

One of northern New Jersey’s primary routes into New York City will be closed to inbound traffic for two years while it undergoes a major overhaul, New Jersey transportation officials announced Thursday.

Some work has already begun on the Pulaski Skyway, the hulking, 80-year-old elevated roadway that runs from Newark to Jersey City and carries thousands of vehicles daily to the Holland Tunnel and into New York.

The replacement of the roadway deck will begin in late 2013, but the closure of inbound lanes will begin in early 2014, state Department of Transportation officials said Thursday. The work is expected to take about two years. During that time, two outbound lanes will be open.

The DOT estimated that closing the inbound lanes during the deck replacement phase, rather than restricting work to nights and weekends, will save four years of construction time and more than $200 million in costs. The project is expected to cost about $1 billion.

The lane closures are expected to have a heavy impact on nearby roads such as Routes 1 & 9, the Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension (I-78) and Route 7. Transportation officials said they will hold a series of meetings and have forms on their website for public input on commuting alternatives.

“We are announcing these construction plans a full year before the serious impacts will be felt because we welcome and value input from commuters, emergency service providers, local officials, residents and business owners,” DOT Commissioner James Simpson said in a statement. “The comments and suggestions we receive will help us focus on travel routes, travel modes and other options that will best serve the public and help mitigate the anticipated significant traffic impacts associated with this essential and necessary work.”