Two years after it was shut down for repairs, creating a nightmare for commuters, the Pulaski Skyway won't be ready to fully reopen to traffic for at least another year, NBC 4 New York has learned.
The 80-year-old bridge started undergoing construction in April 2014, part of a $1 billion project to ensure it lasts another 75 years. In an exclusive walkthrough last year, workers showed NBC 4 New York joints where steel had turned to dust, the crumbling steel a product of road salt.
But as construction crews took the deck apart, they found the damage was worse than feared. And along with a bitter winter last year, the project quickly fell behind.
"The contractor is behind schedule and there is no amount of pressure we can put on him like snapping fingers to get it done," said Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop.
The work is not even quite half-finished as the original two-year deadline for completion approaches. State officials believe the second half of the project can be done in just a year.
In the meantime, many commuters are impatient.
"It ruins Jersey City, the trafffic to take the kids to school adds an extra 20 minutes. Used to be 5 minutes," said Jersey City resident Harry Massey.
Marco Victoria, who owns a food cart in downtown Jersey City and is a frequenty Pulaski Skyway traveler, said the closures represent missed time with his five children.
"I'm looking forward to spending time with my family, but now it's very hard to go back and forth, it usually takes an hour," he said.
But Naomi Torres said she'd "patiently wait till it's fixed all the way."
"Can't complain because safety is the most important thing right now," she said.
Local
The state Department of Transportation said it will reevaluate a timetable after the winter.
