Commuter and pedestrian inconvenience caused by road repairs usually seems comparable to the cost of the project, but state officials say the $206 million renovation of State Highway 139 between Kennedy Boulevard and Jersey Avenue in Jersey City will cause a minimum of traffic headaches.

Some 50,000 vehicles use the roadway daily, mainly as a corridor in and out of the Holland Tunnel. The first of three phases of the eight-year project is already underway.

"People should not see any major impact," Henry T. Cole, a project manager for the state Department of Transportation, said at this week's Jersey City Planning Board meeting.

The work will include rehabilitating the 12th Street and 14th Street viaducts leading from the Holland Tunnel, reconstructing the Hoboken viaduct and rebuilding seven bridges that accomodate street-level traffic across the 70-year old highway. The upper roadway will also be realigned where it connects with the 12th Street viaduct at Palisades Avenue.

"Each of these (phases) have independent schedules," Cole said. "It takes that much time to get it finished. They're very extensive projects."

Ernie Hutchins, project manager for the design consultants, said the work will be done without creating detours partly by installing steel grating over much of the construction area.

The grill will open an area between the eastbound and westbound roadways to accomodate traffic that will drive over the work being done, he explained.

"There will be no detours on this project," Cole added. "We approached the project with the understanding that there was just no space for detours."

Area residents expressed concern about pedestrian crossings, especially along Palisades Avenue, which is used by students attending Dickinson High School.

State officials acknowledged heavy pedestrian traffic in the area, but said an elevated overpass is impractical. They said, a "pedestrian refuge" would be constructed instead. This would be a six-foot wide, 35-foot long sidewalk near the school.