Ongoing rehabilitation work of the 86-year-old Pulaski Skyway is in the “out of sight, out of mind” phase, unless you’re a driver who normally uses one of three exits that have been closed for construction since April 2014.

Those exits have been missed by drivers and commuters who want to get out of traffic back-ups on the Skyway’s northbound lanes.

Progress on the Broadway, Jersey City and South Kearny exits are hard to see because they’re located below the Skyway’s roadway. Work on the bridges that support the Raymond Boulevard, Newark exit is visibly progressing. One of the exits will reopen this winter, said state Department of Transportation officials.

“The Broadway ramp is expected to be temporarily opened one way as an exit from the Pulaski Skyway north down into Jersey City this winter,” said Steve Schapiro, a DOT spokesman.

Now, the northbound Skyway only has two exits that are open at the end of the 3.5 mile network of bridges in Jersey City, to Route 139 also known as the Covered Roadway and to the Route 1&9 Tonnele traffic circle. More traffic is using the Skyway since construction started in May on a project to replace bridge decks on the New Jersey Turnpike Hudson County extension.

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A full, but temporary reopening of the Broadway ramp in both directions, from the northbound Skyway to Jersey City and from Jersey City to the southbound Skyway, is expected in mid-2020, he said. However, drivers will have about one year to use it before the Broadway ramp closes in early 2021, for a full replacement of the structure over two years, Schapiro said.

That work on the Broadway ramp is similar to what is now being done on the Kearny Ramp, Schapiro said. The Kearny ramp was demolished in 2018 and new piers are being constructed for that ramp, he said.

The Raymond Boulevard exit from the Pulaski Skyway south and the Kearny ramps are expected to be reopened in late summer or fall 2020. Sharp-eyed drivers on the Skyway south can see new metal decking from the Skyway, down the span to Raymond Boulevard.

The 10-contract, $1 billion Skyway rehabilitation projects began in April 2014 when the northbound lanes were closed for bridge deck replacement. Completion of that project was delayed after crews found deteriorated cross beams under the road that had to be replaced. After three delays, the full Skyway was reopened to north and south bound traffic on July 1, 2018.

There is plenty of work being done and scheduled that’s out of the sight of drivers. Replacing three rocker bearings that support the bridge superstructure and steel repairs have been ongoing since late 2017.

Work that remains to be done includes replacing deteriorated steel, reconstructing 15 foundations and piers and replacing structures in the river to protect the bridge piers from being hit by vessels, Schapiro said. The last contract provides for painting to protect the entire bridge.

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

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