The full reopening of the Pulaski Skyway will be pushed off until Spring 2018, instead of this summer so contractors can replace retaining walls between the Skyway and Route 139, state Department of Transportation officials said.

That news comes as DOT officials said that the project to install a new bridge deck on the 85-year-old Skyway between Newark and Jersey City is about 77 percent complete. The retaining walls were not part of the original $1 billion Skyway rehabilitation project, said Stephen Schapiro, an NJDOT spokesman.

"If they are not reconstructed now, they would need replacing in a few years, resulting in future closures, detours, and inconvenience to motorists," Schapiro said. "This work is expected to be completed next spring, at which time the Skyway will reopen to two-way traffic."

Crews working on the southbound lanes of the Pulaski Skyway to replace the bridge deck on Tuesday. While that would is 77 percent complete, a different project will push back the reopening date.

Now only one side of the Skyway is open to southbound traffic. The Skyway has been closed to northbound traffic since 2014. Southbound traffic is currently using the reconstructed northbound lanes.

A construction contract to replace the retaining walls is expected to be awarded in May, with construction starting in late summer, Schapiro said.

This makes the third time reopening the Skyway has been pushed back. In April 2015, officials blamed the harsh winter and the discovery of rusted floor beams which pushed the completion to late 2016. Last June, officials said the Skyway wouldn't reopen to traffic until sometime in Summer 2017. A specific date was to be decided this spring.

The retaining wall replacement was advanced to get the work completed while the bridge deck replacement is underway to take advantage of the closed lanes and alternate routes that are in place, Schapiro said.

"Reconstructing these walls now will extend the life of the entire Pulaski Skyway/Route 139 corridor from Newark through Jersey City to the Holland Tunnel for the next 75 years without the need for additional closures or rehabilitation," Schapiro said

About 2.7 miles of the 3.5-mile long southbound side of the Skyway has new bridge deck panels installed. What's left to do is pouring the concrete between the northbound and southbound lanes, construct a median barrier and any remaining and install guide rails, he said. Then a concrete driving surface will be applied to the southbound lanes



"Much of this (retaining walls) work is being done at the same time as bridge deck panel installation, he said.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

