JERSEY CITY—The partial closure of New Jersey's Pulaski Skyway didn't come with the anticipated traffic nightmare on Monday, but officials said the true test may not come until next week.

New Jersey motorists were braced for a brutal morning rush, the first such weekday commute since the shutdown of the skyway's northbound lanes heading to Jersey City and Manhattan.

But Monday commuters either got the message to avoid the skyway or stayed home for this week's Passover and Good Friday holidays. Also, public schools were on spring break, keeping many parents, teachers and school busses off the road.

Rush-hour delays due to the closure were minimal, transportation officials said. Drivers may have steered toward the Lincoln Tunnel because they couldn't take the Pulaski to the Holland Tunnel, said James Simpson, New Jersey's transportation commissioner. Drivers entering the Lincoln saw 45-minute delays Monday, but the tunnel often sees 30-45 minute morning delays.

Either way, lighter-than-expected traffic made for a relatively uneventful dress rehearsal for bigger headaches expected next week, after Easter.