Pulaski Skyway commuters are being warned this past week of religious holidays and school vacations was the exception, not the norm. Monday's traffic will test the full extent of the span's northbound closure.

Route 7 at Route 1/9
Route 7 at Route 1/9 (NJ DOT)
loading...

No major traffic problems have been reported since northbound lanes were closed last Saturday to repair the 81-year-old span on which 74,000 vehicles travel daily between Newark and Jersey City.

Officials say that's because Jersey City and other area schools were closed and traffic was lighter with people observing Easter and Passover holidays. "I think traffic volumes were down about 10% this week I think it worst the delays were 10 to 15 minutes," observed New Jersey Fast Traffic's Bernie Wagenblast.

Officials are expecting traffic volume to return to normal next week."There will be more traffic but I doubt it will be terrible," says Wagenblast. He expects that the Turnpike's eastern spur going to interchange 16 E.will pick up additional traffic on Monday.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation in a press release suggests motorists use mass transit including bus and ferry options. A new park-and-ride bus near Newark airport on Route 1&9 near Newark operated by Suburban Transit. Seastreak will offer ferry service from Atlantic Highlands to Jersey City with two trips in the morning and three in the afternoon while New York Waterway will take commuters from Belford to Jersey City,

The Associated Press contributed to this report

More From New Jersey 101.5 FM