Global InformationMeadowbrook State Parkway information
Meadowbrook State Parkway | |
|---|---|
| Senator Norman J. Levy Memorial Parkway | |
 Meadowbrook State Parkway highlighted in red | |
| Route information | |
| Maintained by NYSDOT | |
| Length | 12.52 mi[1] (20.15 km) |
| Existed | 1934–present |
| History | First segment opened October 27, 1934; completed October 13, 1956 |
| Restrictions | No commercial vehicles north of exit M9E |
| Major junctions | |
| South end |  Ocean Parkway / Bay Parkway at Jones Beach |
 NY 27 in Freeport Southern State Parkway in North Merrick NY 24 in Uniondale | |
| North end |  Northern State Parkway in Carle Place |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| Counties | Nassau |
| Highway system | |
| |
Meadowbrook State Parkway | |
U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
U.S. Historic district Contributing property | |
 A drawbridge along the NRHP-designated portion of the parkway. | |
| Location | Southern State Parkway to Jones Beach State Park |
| Part of | Jones Beach State Park, Causeway and Parkway System |
| NRHP reference No. | 05000358[2] |
| Added to NRHP | April 28, 2005 |
The Meadowbrook State Parkway (also known as the Meadowbrook, the Meadowbrook Parkway, Meadowbrook Causeway, or the MSP) is a 12.52-mile (20.15 km) controlled-access parkway in Nassau County, New York, in the United States. Its southern terminus is at a full cloverleaf interchange with the Bay and Ocean parkways in Jones Beach State Park. The parkway heads north, crossing South Oyster Bay and intersecting Loop Parkway before crossing onto the mainland and connecting to the Southern State Parkway in North Merrick. It continues north to the hamlet of Carle Place, where the Meadowbrook Parkway ends at exit 31A of the Northern State Parkway. The Meadowbrook Parkway is designated New York State Route 908E (NY 908E), an unsigned reference route. Most of the road is limited to non-commercial traffic, like most parkways in the state of New York; however, the portion south of Merrick Road is open to commercial traffic.
The Meadowbrook State Parkway was first envisioned in 1924 as part of the Long Island State Park Commission (LISPC) and Robert Moses's system to connect several parks in Nassau and Suffolk counties. One park included in the proposal was Jones Beach State Park, which opened along with the Ocean Parkway in 1929. Construction of the Meadowbrook and Loop causeways began in July 1933, and was slated for completion in January 1935. The Reconstruction Finance Corporation loaned $5,050,000 toward the project, which was completed in October 1934. Nassau County acquired the right-of-way for an extension to the Northern State Parkway in 1936, and the highway was originally intended to be finished for the 1939 World's Fair in Flushing Meadows, Queens. The start of construction was ultimately delayed until December 1953, and the $10 million (1953 USD) highway was completed in October 1956.
Reconstruction projects in the latter half of the 20th century have caused local protests by entities such as the Town of Hempstead and the Village of Westbury. The latter was concerned about construction affecting the way of life in Westbury, and the mayor and citizens wanted confirmation that the reconstruction of the Westbury Interchange—the Meadowbrook State Parkway's northern terminus—would not lead to environmental disruption.
The portions of the Meadowbrook Parkway south of the Southern State Parkway are part of a scenic byway and are designated on the National Register of Historic Places, within the historic district known as the Jones Beach State Park, Causeway and Parkway System.
In August 1998, the Meadowbrook was dedicated as the Senator Norman J. Levy Memorial Parkway in honor of Norman J. Levy, a state senator who helped sponsor the first seat belt law in the United States.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
2011tvrwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.