Merrick Road

Merrick Road, named Merrick Boulevard inside New York City, is a road running from Jamaica, Queens, New York east through Merrick, New York to the line between Nassau and Suffolk Counties, where it becomes Montauk Highway. A bit of it at the east end is signed and maintained by the New York State Department of Transportation as New York State Route 27A. At one time the entire length of Merrick Road was signed as NY 27A; the entire portion within Nassau County is currently designated as unsigned Nassau County Route 27.^[1] It is an old road, forming part of one of the original paths across southern Long Island, once known as Montauk Highway the whole way.

Route description

Merrick Boulevard begins at Hillside Avenue as a 2 lane, one-way street heading eastbound (compass south at this point), continued north of Hillside Avenue as 166th Street. 168th Street provides for traffic running westbound/northbound. Just south of Liberty Avenue, the two directions join together to form a 4 lane, divided Merrick Boulevard.^[2]

Merrick Boulevard gradually turns southeast and east, passing through Springfield Gardens, Laurelton and crossing the Belt Parkway before leaving Queens into Nassau County, where it becomes Merrick Road. Merrick Road here is one of the old roads along the southern side of Long Island; it has been replaced by Sunrise Highway (Route 27) for most through traffic.^[2]

At Rockville Centre, bridges take it over Route 27, with four directional ramps forming a partial interchange. Further east, it serves as the southern end for state roads like Route 135 (the Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway) and Route 107.^[2]

Route 27A begins as a split from Route 27 in East Massapequa, where Route 27 leaves the original Sunrise Gold Circle, which is now Old Sunrise Highway east of the split. Route 27A quickly turns south off Old Sunrise Highway onto Carman Mill Road, which ends at Merrick Road. Merrick Road from that point east to Suffolk County, where it becomes Montauk Highway, is part of Route 27A.^[2]

Both the Meadowbrook State Parkway and the Wantagh State Parkway have interchanges with Merrick Road. A truck needing to make a delivery to the barrier beaches along Ocean Parkway may enter either parkway southbound at this road and at no point further north.^[2]

Major intersections

References