Heckscher State Parkway
| |
---|---|
Length | 8.24 mi[1] (13.26 km) |
Existed | 1929–present |
History | Opened 1929 south of NY 27A; completed November 3, 1962 |
Restrictions | No commercial vehicles west of exit 44W |
Major junctions | |
West end | Southern State Parkway / Sagtikos State Parkway in West Islip |
NY 27 in Islip Terrace | |
South end | Heckscher State Park in Great River |
Location | |
Country | United States |
State | New York |
Counties | Suffolk |
Highway system | |
The Heckscher State Parkway (formerly known as the Heckscher Spur) is an 8.24-mile (13.26 km)
The parkway was originally built in 1929 as a connector between NY 27A and the newly opened Heckscher (formerly Deer Range) State Park. In 1959, bids were announced for a new Heckscher State Parkway, which would connect the original road to the Sagtikos State Parkway. This section was officially opened on November 3, 1962, with a ceremony featuring speeches by Robert Moses and Governor Nelson Rockefeller. The Long Island Transportation Plan 2000, a long-term study done in the late 1990s, called for the Heckscher Parkway to be widened west of NY 27 to accommodate a carpool and bus lane.
Route description
The Heckscher State Parkway begins at an interchange with the southern terminus of the
Brentwood eventually gives way to
On the other side of the tracks, the parkway begins to run along the western edge of
History
Heckscher State Park, formerly known as Deer Range State Park, dates back to 1925. At that time, the construction of the
A two-lane highway providing access from
Work on the road was delayed until March 1959 when bids were finally announced by the State of New York Department of Public Works to construct the last 6.27 miles (10.09 km) section of the Heckscher State Parkway from the Sagtikos State Parkway to NY 27A. This, along with a widening of the Southern State Parkway, would fill the gaps in the original 200-mile (320 km) parkway system proposed by Robert Moses. The estimated cost of construction was $8,327,000 (1959 USD), and the road was slated to be completed in September 1960.[5] An additional two years were ultimately needed to finish the highway, and LISPC announced on November 1, 1962, that the parkway would open on the upcoming Saturday (November 3) with a ceremony featuring Robert Moses and Governor Nelson Rockefeller.[9]
On the morning of November 3, the Heckscher State Parkway's full alignment was opened to traffic in rainy conditions. A motorcade of 110 vehicles followed the new parkway to the Bayard Cutting Arboretum, but Governor Rockfeller was late due to mechanical difficulties with his personal plane. The new parkway led to the expansion of facilities along the road, which included an additional 1,658 acres (671 ha) of land and 18,000 feet (5,500 m) of new beachfront. Opening the parkway also created connections to the nearby Southside Sportsmen's Club, which would be turned into a recreation area, and the Bayard Cutting Arboretum.[6] A new set of trees were planted along the parkway in 1963. LISPC was to plant 67,000 trees, shrubs and ground cover along the new parkway and several others on Long Island. Evergreen trees, Japanese crab, cherry, mimosa, magnolia, forsythia and laurel plants were among those planted.[10]
From 1997–2001, engineers at
Exit list
Exit numbers continue sequentially from those of the Southern State Parkway. The entire route is in Suffolk County.
Location | mi[1] | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New York | Continuation west | |||||
41A | Sagtikos State Parkway north – Kings Park | Southern terminus and exit S4 on Sagtikos Parkway | ||||
Signed as exits 42S (south) and 42N (north) | ||||||
Islip Terrace | 3.97 | 6.39 | 43 | NY 111 – Islip, Hauppauge | Signed as exits 43S (south) and 43N (north) | |
4.68 | 7.53 | 43A | Bethpage Ballpark | |||
6.00 | 9.66 | 44 | New York, Montauk | Signed as exits 44W (west) and 44E (east); exit 46 on NY 27 | ||
Eastern Long Island | Signed as exits 45W (west) and 45E (east) | |||||
Great River | 8.08 | 13.00 | 46 | Timber Point Road – East Islip, Great River | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | |
8.24 | 13.26 | – | Heckscher State Park | Toll booths | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi |
References
- ^ a b c "2007 Traffic Data Report for New York State" (PDF). New York State Department of Transportation. July 25, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 12, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
- ^ a b c Microsoft; Nokia (June 28, 2012). "overview map of the Heckscher State Parkway" (Map). Bing Maps. Microsoft. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
- ^ "Smith Acclaimed at Heckscher Park: Gets an Ovation From 7,000 as He Lashes Legislature at Dedication of State Tract". The New York Times. June 3, 1929. p. 24.
- ^ "A Tribute to Mr. Heckscher: Philanthropist's Zeal in Fighting for Public Recalled by Mr. Alfred E. Smith". The New York Times. April 30, 1941. p. 18.
- ^ a b Stengren, Bernard (March 23, 1959). "Bids on Last Link Of L. I. Road Due: 6-Mile Stretch of Heckscher Parkway to Open All of 200-Mile System". The New York Times. p. 33.
- ^ a b "Moses Waves Hand from Car to Open L.I. Road". The New York Times. November 4, 1962. p. 67.
- ^ "Parkway Addition Will Open Today: 2 1/2-Mile Extension of Southern State Is North of Babylon to Bay Shore Road". The New York Times. November 14, 1949. p. 14.
- ^ "State Acquires Long Island Estate; Cutting Acreage to Be Arboretum". The New York Times. December 1, 1952. p. 25.
- ^ "L.I. Parkway to Open". The New York Times. November 1, 1962. p. 45.
- ^ "L.I. Parkways Get 67,000 New Plants In Fall Campaign". The New York Times. October 4, 1963. p. 35.
- ^ Cotsalas, Valerie (July 1, 2001). "A Transportation Vision for 2020: Is It 20/20?". The New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
External links
- Heckscher State Parkway at Alps' Roads
- Heckscher State Parkway @ NYCROADS.com
- Interchange of the Week; Monday, March 19, 2001 (Empire State Roads)
- Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park
- Connetquot River State Park Preserve
- Heckscher State Park