General Casimir Pulaski Memorial Skyway
Routes 1 & 9 (United States 1 – United States 9)

In 1932, the American Institute of Steel Construction named the Pulaski Skyway the "Most Beautiful Steel Structure" among long-span bridges. It was also known as "The longest and highest viaduct for motor vehicles in the world" (Jersey Journal, 11 October 1933).

The black steel skyway, designed by engineer Sigvald Johannesson, is 3.5 miles in length and connects Jersey City with Newark and Kearny over the marshlands and Hackensack and Passaic rivers. Built at a cost of approximately $20 million, the riveted constructed bridge with trusses was the most expensive bridge of its day.

The construction of the Pulaski Skyway began as part of a larger $40 million, 13.2 mile long Route 1 Extension project in the 1920s. The movement of troops and war materials between the Port of New York and New Jersey railroad yards during World War I demonstrated the need for new highways between the two areas. After the war, the New Jersey State Highway Department drew up a master plan for the extension of Route 1 from Elizabeth, through Newark and Jersey City, to the proposed Holland Tunnel at downtown Manhattan.

Johannesson and Frederick Lavis, former railroad engineers, began to work on the project in 1923. They were joined by engineers Jacob Baur and H.W. Hudson. The bridge was originally called the "Diagonal Highway," as it was planned to cross diagonally the New Jersey Meadowlands with a "high-level, bridge-causeway complex." The following description captures its eventual design: "The two 550-foot-long main spans consist of cantilever steel through (Pratt) trusses that support flanking 350-foot-long suspended spans. The land sections of the structure consist of 118 cantilever steel deck truss spans ranging from about 175 to 350 feet in length" ("Pulaski Skyway Historic Overview," 3). The 135-foot clearance above high tide met the requirement for the passage of warships underneath the bridge. According to "1-9 Pulaski Skyway Historic Overview," the construction of the proposed elevated highway had implications for Jersey City:

In Jersey City, the highway was to cross the high ridge (part of the New Jersey Palisades) before descending to the Holland Tunnel. Connections were to be provided with Tonnelle Avenue (US 1 and US 9), which was to be the primary route to the then-proposed George Washington Bridge. To avoid an open cut through Jersey City – something that the Erie and Pennsylvania railroads had already done to separate the city – the state highway department proposed a subterranean route that lessened the grade over the ridge. The highway was located alongside the Erie Cut, and topped by a roadway. The adopted route, which curved north towards US 1, provided good connections to the local street system (2).

Construction of the skyway began in 1930. There were fifteen fatalities associated with the construction. A labor dispute over wages for union workers led to a murder. It allowed Mayor Frank Hague of Jersey City to use police force to terminate the labor strike affecting progress on the bridge.

The elevated bridge opened for traffic on November 24, 1932. It was dedicated on October 11, 1933, and named for General Casimir Pulaski, the Polish-born hero of the American Revolutionary war, on the anniversary of Pulaski's death. At the ceremony held at Lincoln Memorial Park Athletic Field, Mayor Hague gave the welcoming address, and Governor A. Harry Moore, who was responsible for the executive order to rename the bridge, gave one of the dedication speeches.

Pulaski, known as the "Father of the American Cavalry," was bestowed the rank of Brigadier General by Congress in recognition of his leadership at the Battle of Brandywine of September 11, 1777. General Pulaski fought in New Jersey in Haddonfield, Little Egg Harbor and Osborn's Island. In 1778, he resigned his command and formed the "Pulaski Legion," an independent cavalry, and continued to participate in the war. He was severely wounded fighting the British at the Battle of Savannah, Ga.; two days later he died at age 31 on October 11, 1779, aboard the colonial gunboat Wasp.

The completed skyway became heavily trafficked and was soon a popular truck route between Jersey City and Newark. The resulting traffic congestion affected the traffic pattern between New York and Newark (Liberty) Airport: "After a series of accidents in the 1950's, state highway officials closed the bridge to trucks, forcing them onto nearby Communipaw Avenue (which was subsequently designated TRUCK US 1-US 9). However, the opening of the New Jersey Turnpike-Newark Bay Extension (1-78) in 1956 provided some relief . . . and by providing an alternate route for Jersey City-bound and New York-bound trucks." Furthermore, "To improve safety, a concrete ("Jersey") barrier now separates the two 24-foot-wide roadways (which provide two 12-foot-wide traffic lanes in each direction)" ("1-9 Pulaski Skyway Historic Overview," 4).

In 1983, the Department of Transportation was awarded a $15.2 million federal grant for the rehabilitation of the Pulaski Skyway to repair recognized structural deficiencies. A continuing safety concern about the bridge is the lack of a safety shoulder in each direction that has been recommended in the event of a future reconstruction of the skyway.

The elevated highway was featured in the 1979 movie Hair and is seen in the opening scenes of the HBO series The Sopranos.

References:
Avery, Brett. "The Steel Giant." New Jersey Monthly. May 2005:70-71.
Bendel, John. "At 60, the Pulaski Skyway Draws Admiration and Criticism."Jersey Journal 10 October 1993.
"1-9 Pulaski Skyway Historic Overview," (6pp). http://www.nycroads.com/crossings/pulaski/
"Pulaski Span Fete Tonight." Jersey Journal 11 October 1933.