Bethpage State Parkway

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The Bethpage State Parkway is part of the parkway system in Long Island, New York, USA. It is unsigned New York State Reference Route 907E. It has been redesignated (formally, but is not usually known as) the Philip B. Healey Memorial Parkway.

From its genesis, it was constructed with one main purpose: to provide a direct link into Bethpage State Park. It is only 2.4 miles long (making it one of the shortest parkways to carry the distinctive Long Island parkway shield). Its southern end is an interchange with the Southern State Parkway, and its northern end is a traffic circle within the park. In between are three interchanges that service nearby roads such as Hempstead Turnpike (Route 24).

Like other Long Island parkways, it was designed from the outset to only carry cars--no trucks are allowed. Furthermore, not being intended for heavy commuter traffic, the entire parkway is and remains designed as a two-lane freeway. Safety improvements made in the 1980's did not alter this fundamental trait. Because of its intention as a park route, a pedestrian/bicycle route was originally built alongside part of its length on the west side. The 1980's improvements moved this to the east side and extended it to reach the parkway's entire length.

There were plans to extend this parkway in both directions (as well as convert it to a divided highway). It was intended at some point to connect Route 25A in the north with Route 27 in the south. The original northern terminus was intended to be at Northern State Parkway and the northern extension was to go to Caumsett State Historic Park in Lloyd Harbor. There was an interchange planned with Route 135 (The Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway) directly west of the golf course at Bethpage. However, lack of resident support combined with changing commuter habits and the construction of other nearby highways more or less shelved any future plans. Rights of way originally purchased to extend the parkway have since been given over for park use.

[edit] Exits

Exit #	Destinations	Notes
This list, from top to bottom, goes north. For southbound exits, start at the bottom and work your way up. Traffic feeds into/from Southern State Pkwy.
B1	Southern State Parkway	Southbound exit only - ALL TRAFFIC
B2	North West Street	A northbound exit
B3	NY 24 - Hempstead Turnpike	TO NY 135 - Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway
B4	Central Avenue
Bethpage State Park. ends within at a traffic circle.

[edit] Interesting facts

• All interchanges are prefixed with the letter "B" in numeric order from South to North. The only other Long Island Parkway which has its exit numbers from South to North order with a prefix is the Sunken Meadow State Parkway.

• Exit 47 on the Long Island Expressway was intended for the northern extension of the Bethpage Parkway. From the parkway, the interchanges would have had Northbound off-ramps and Southbound on-ramps.

[edit] External links

• Bethpage State Parkway Article from NYCROADS Web Site
• Bethpage State Park
• Caumsett State Historic Park

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