Bethpage State Parkway
The Bethpage State Parkway begins at a trumpet interchange with the Southern State Parkway (signed as exit B1) within the Massapequa Preserve in North Massapequa. From there it proceeds northward as a two-lane undivided freeway (a “super-2” design), running through the Massapequa Preserve as a buffer between the highway and surrounding developments.
The first interchange, exit B2, serves Boundary Avenue (northbound only). Further north, the parkway widens to four lanes briefly ahead of exit B3, a partial cloverleaf interchange with NY 24 (Hempstead Turnpike). The southbound cloverleaf ramps connect directly; northbound uses a short local connector (Beach Street) to reach NY 24.
North of that, it passes under the Long Island Rail Road’s Main Line and reaches exit B4, an interchange with Central Avenue in Bethpage. Finally, the parkway enters Bethpage State Park, bends northeast, and concludes in a traffic circle connecting to Plainview Road and internal park roads. This circle also provides links to local roads and into the park’s golf courses and amenities.
Alongside the entire corridor, a shared-use path / bike trail (the Bethpage Parkway Shared Use Path) parallels the roadway on its east side, connecting Bethpage State Park to the Massapequa Preserve at Merrick Road.
History
- The idea for the Bethpage State Parkway originated in the 1920s under Robert Moses and the Long Island State Park Commission (LISPC) as a way to link parkgoers to interior parks on Long Island.
- Construction began in 1934 on land acquired for what was already Bethpage State Park. The parkway officially opened on November 14, 1936, alongside the Laurelton Parkway in Queens.
- From its inception the route was built with a recreational and scenic purpose-hence the two-lane undivided “parkway” design, exclusion of commercial vehicles, wooded corridors, and stone-faced overpasses.
- Over the years, proposals have been made to extend the parkway both southward (toward Merrick Road / Massapequa State Park) and northward (to Northern State Parkway or via a proposed Caumsett State Parkway). None of those extensions have been built.
- In the 1970s, the shared-use bike path was constructed along the existing parkway corridor, and in later decades that path has been extended northward via former unbuilt rights-of-way (connecting toward Syosset etc.).
- Some scaled-down proposals remain occasionally discussed, especially for extending or improving bike/trail connectivity rather than full roadway extensions.
Exit List
| Exit | Location / Road | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| B1 | Southern State Parkway (in North Massapequa) | Trumpet interchange; start of parkway |
| B2 | Boundary Avenue (northbound only) | Northbound exit only |
| B3 | NY 24 (Hempstead Turnpike) | Partial cloverleaf; NB ramp via Beach Street |
| B4 | Central Avenue | Provides access to Bethpage local area |
| — | Bethpage State Park / Plainview Road circle | Terminus: traffic circle ties into park roads & Plainview Road |
Shared-Use Path / Bikeway
The Bethpage Parkway Shared Use Path runs alongside the Bethpage State Parkway, linking Bethpage State Park with the Massapequa Preserve at Merrick Road. The path portions vary between direct parallels to the parkway and routes through preserve land along streams and ponds.
Separately, the Bethpage Bikeway, a longer multi-use trail (~13 – 14 miles), intersects and runs beyond the parkway’s domain, passing through parks, preserves, and connecting to other trail networks.
Future / Unbuilt Extensions
- For decades, the main extension concepts have involved pushing the Bethpage State Parkway northward from its traffic circle terminus to either NY 135, Northern State Parkway, or even onward via a proposed Caumsett State Parkway.
- In many proposals, new interchanges were envisioned (e.g. with NY 135, Plainview Avenue, Old Country Road, Long Island Expressway, Northern State Parkway) and elimination of the terminal traffic circle.
- However, funding, environmental concerns, and changes in transportation priorities have prevented these from being realized.
- In lieu of full roadway expansion, more emphasis in recent decades has shifted toward extending thebike / trail network along the former rights-of-way for unbuilt sections.
Additional Notes & References
- The parkway carries no commercial vehicle traffic (a standard restriction for parkways on Long Island).
- It is relatively short (2.49 miles) but serves a key link between the Southern State and the inland parks.
- The scenic design (wooded corridors, stone-faced bridges) reflects the original parkway philosophy of blending infrastructure with natural surroundings.
