The history of the Pulaski Skyway in New Jersey (the Skyway Diner was under it!)

The Pulaski Skyway stands as an iconic engineering marvel in northern New Jersey, stretching 3.5 miles across the industrial landscape between Newark and Jersey City. This elevated roadway, part of U.S. Routes 1 and 9, rises dramatically over the Passaic and Hackensack Rivers, symbolizing the ambitious infrastructure projects of the early 20th century. Built to alleviate traffic congestion and facilitate the movement of goods and people in the bustling Port of New York area, the Skyway has endured as a vital transportation artery, carrying around 74,000 vehicles daily despite its age and ongoing challenges. Its history reflects the evolution of American highway design, from innovative beginnings to persistent safety concerns and extensive modern rehabilitations.

The origins of the Pulaski Skyway trace back to the 1920s, when rapid urbanization and the demands of World War I exposed the inadequacies of existing transportation networks. The Port of New York, handling one-fifth of the nation's freight, suffered from severe congestion, with goods shuttled inefficiently between Manhattan's piers and New Jersey's rail yards. During the war, shortages of ships, rail cars, and manpower led to massive backups, including 180,000 trapped rail cars by late 1917, causing shortages of essentials like coal and food in the region. The movement of over 1.3 million troops through the area during the harsh winter of 1917-1918 further highlighted the need for better roadways. In response, the New Jersey State Highway Department proposed extending Route 1 from Elizabeth through Newark and Jersey City to connect with the newly opened Holland Tunnel in 1927. This 13.2-mile Route 1 Extension, costing $40 million overall, aimed to create a seamless express highway with grade-separated interchanges, median separation, and four lanes for traffic plus an emergency lane. The Skyway itself was envisioned as the centerpiece of this extension, a "Diagonal Highway" crossing the New Jersey Meadowlands. Planning involved an Advisory Board of Engineers, led by Chief Engineer William G. Sloan, who appointed Frederick Lavis and Sigvald Johannesson to oversee the project. Johannesson, a Danish-born engineer with experience on the London Underground and Pennsylvania Railroad's Hudson River tubes, designed the structure. The design featured two main 550-foot cantilevered Pratt truss spans over the rivers, providing 135 feet of clearance for naval vessels, flanked by 350-foot suspended spans. The land sections included 118 deck truss spans, with the roadway transitioning smoothly from atop the trusses on approaches to within them over the water. Total length, including approaches, reached 18,480 feet, with a 44-foot-wide roadway divided into four 11-foot lanes—two in each direction—without shoulders, and a central breakdown lane. Pedestrians were prohibited, emphasizing its role as a high-speed thoroughfare.Construction began in May 1923 for the broader extension, but the Skyway portion started in 1930 after years of debate over routing through the sensitive Meadowlands. Alternatives like twin tunnels or low-level bridges with lift spans were rejected due to cost and navigation concerns; instead, a high-level bridge-causeway was approved in October 1929. The $20 million project, equivalent to the cost of Manhattan's Chrysler Building, weighed 18 million pounds and employed riveted steel construction supported by concrete piers. However, the work was perilous: 15 workers died in accidents, and one labor-related murder marred the process. Delays pushed completion beyond the initial 1926 target, but the Skyway finally opened to traffic at 8 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 1932. The following year, on October 11, 1933—the anniversary of General Casimir Pulaski's death—the structure was dedicated as the General Casimir Pulaski Skyway. Pulaski, a Polish nobleman and Revolutionary War hero known as the "Father of the American Cavalry," had formed the Pulaski Legion and fought in battles across New Jersey before his fatal wounding at the Battle of Savannah in 1779. The dedication ceremony in Jersey City's Lincoln Park drew about 20,000 attendees, including a speech by Mayor Frank Hague, and featured a bas-relief portrait of Pulaski mounted on the girders. Initially part of the Lincoln Highway and designated NJ 25, it carried U.S. 1 and 9, serving as a critical link to New York City.In its early years, the Skyway revolutionized travel, reducing delays between Jersey City and Newark and attracting traffic from congested surface routes. A 1933 Bureau of Public Roads study praised its efficiency, but safety issues soon emerged. The narrow lanes, lack of shoulders, and central breakdown lane led to frequent head-on collisions, earning nicknames like "death highway" and "suicide lane." Trucks, initially permitted, caused numerous accidents due to merging difficulties on the S-curve and inside ramps, lacking modern features like acceleration lanes. In January 1934, Jersey City banned trucks, diverting them to Communipaw Avenue (Route 1&9 Truck), a decision upheld by the New Jersey Supreme Court despite challenges from truckers. Trucks were briefly allowed back in 1952 during reconstruction of the alternate route but remain banned today.By the 1950s, accidents averaged 400 per year, prompting improvements: new approaches at the Newark end to Raymond Boulevard and the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95), a non-slip pavement coating, and, in 1956, a concrete median barrier—known as the "Jersey barrier"—to prevent crossovers. The 1956 opening of the New Jersey Turnpike-Newark Bay Extension (I-78) further eased congestion, halving commute times and reducing crashes. Despite these, the Skyway's accident rate remained high compared to modern standards.Architecturally, the Skyway garnered acclaim upon completion, winning the American Institute of Steel Construction's award for the "Most Beautiful Steel Structure" among long-span bridges. Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier, visiting in the 1920s, hailed it as the epitome of "highways in the sky," an extension of New York City's skyscrapers and a vision of future urbanism. Its cultural footprint expanded through media: in Orson Welles' 1938 radio broadcast of "The War of the Worlds," alien invaders crossed the Skyway toward New York. It appeared in books, films, music, and video games, and famously opened each episode of HBO's "The Sopranos" starting in 1999. Listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places for its age, length, and unique design, it embodies early 20th-century engineering innovation. The last major rehabilitation occurred in 1984, but by the 2000s, deterioration—corroded steel, crumbling concrete, and structural fatigue—necessitated action. In 2007, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) announced plans for replacement, estimated at over $1 billion, but opted for rehabilitation to preserve its historic status. A $1 billion project began in 2014, funded partly by the Port Authority, including northbound lane closures for two years. Multiple contracts addressed truss repairs, pier replacements, rocker bent upgrades, blast cleaning, repainting, and ramp reconstructions. For instance, Contracts 6A & 6B focused on spans 64 through 81, while Contract 8B included ITS improvements and new parks on Route 139. Rebuilding from scratch today would cost $3.2 billion, making preservation more feasible. Today, the Pulaski Skyway remains a cornerstone of northern New Jersey's transportation network, linking to New York City and beyond while navigating the challenges of its nearly century-old design. Ongoing renovations, expected to continue into the 2020s, ensure its longevity, balancing historical integrity with modern safety demands. As a testament to engineering prowess and regional history, the Skyway endures, much like the revolutionary spirit of its namesake.
Here is a mug featuring the official newspaper announcement from 1933, as well as a panoramic image of the bridge: Unique Gift New Jersey Pulaski Skyway