Southern State Parkway facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
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Southern State Parkway highlighted in red
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| Route information | |
| Maintained by NYSDOT | |
| Length | 25.53 mi (41.09 km) |
| Existed | 1927–present |
| Restrictions | No commercial vehicles |
| Major junctions | |
| West end |   Belt Parkway / Cross Island Parkway in Valley Stream |
 Meadowbrook State Parkway in North Merrick Wantagh State Parkway in North Wantagh NY 135 in Wantagh Robert Moses Causeway in West Islip |
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| East end |   Sagtikos State Parkway / Heckscher State Parkway in West Islip |
| Location | |
| Counties: | Nassau, Suffolk |
| Highway system | |
| Numbered highways in New York Interstate • U.S. • N.Y. (former) • Reference • County |
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The Southern State Parkway is a special road on Long Island, New York. It's about 25.5 miles long. This road is called a "parkway" because it was designed for cars, not big trucks. It helps people travel easily across Long Island.
The parkway starts in Elmont, in Nassau County. It connects to other major roads like the Belt Parkway and Cross Island Parkway. From there, it goes east into Suffolk County. The Southern State Parkway ends in West Islip. At that point, it changes its name to the Heckscher State Parkway.
A famous person named Robert Moses helped design this road. Construction began in 1925. The first part of the parkway opened in 1927. It was finished in 1962, reaching its current end.
Exploring the Southern State Parkway
The Southern State Parkway starts near the border of Queens and Nassau County. It's a wide road with eight lanes at the beginning. As you drive east, you'll pass by several interesting places.
One of the first places is Valley Stream State Park. The parkway has a special exit just for this park. Further along, the road goes near Hempstead Lake State Park. Here, the parkway narrows to six lanes. It also crosses over Hempstead Lake.
As you continue, the parkway passes through different towns. These include Rockville Centre and North Merrick. It connects with other important parkways like the Meadowbrook State Parkway and the Wantagh State Parkway. These connections help people get to places like Jones Beach.
The parkway then enters Suffolk County. It goes through towns like Babylon and West Islip. You'll pass by Belmont Lake State Park. The parkway even has an exit that leads right into this park.
Near the end, the Southern State Parkway connects to the Robert Moses Causeway. This road takes you south towards the ocean beaches. Finally, the Southern State Parkway meets the Sagtikos State Parkway. At this point, it becomes the Heckscher State Parkway, which continues towards Heckscher State Park.
How the Parkway Was Built
The Southern State Parkway was built to make it easier to reach popular places. One main reason was to improve access to Jones Beach State Park. The land used for the parkway was originally a path for water pipes.
The first part of the parkway opened in 1927. By 1932, it reached Suffolk County. Over the years, more parts were added. The parkway was completed to its current length by 1962.
After World War II, many people moved to Long Island. The parkway became very busy with commuters. So, the road was made wider and straighter in many places. This helped handle the faster speeds and more cars.
Originally, the Southern State Parkway had only four lanes. It was designed to be a "linear park." This meant it was a scenic road connecting state parks. The bridges over the parkway were built with low clearances. This was done for beauty. It also stopped large commercial trucks from using the parkway system.
An interesting fact is how the parkway crossed Hempstead Lake. The original road took a sharp turn and crossed a dam. Later, a new, straighter path was built over the lake. The old road is now part of Hempstead Lake Park.
In the past, there were service areas along the parkway. These were places where drivers could stop. There were also toll booths near the western end until 1978. This means you used to have to pay to drive on parts of the parkway.
