The Sunken Meadow Spur Parkway was first proposed in 1928 when the Town of Smithtown deeded over 400 acres (160ha) of land to the Long Island State Park Commission via public vote. Due to land use restrictions in Nassau County, Sunken Meadow was the first park east of New York City, because provisions for a parkway would be near impossible to build. Construction of the parkway commenced after the Sagtikos opened in September 1952, with the interchange at the Northern State Parkway. The first portion opened to traffic in November 1954 from the Northern State/Sagtikos interchange to NY25, with a slated completion in 1956. The parkway was completed in April1957, opening on the 1st of that month. As part of the parkway opening, improvements were made to Sunken Meadow State Park, including expanded vehicle capacity and a longer boardwalk.
As is the case with most other parkways in New York, commercial vehicles are prohibited from using the Sunken Meadow, with an exception for the portion north of NY25A.
Route description
The Sunken Meadow State Parkway begins at exit44–45 off the Northern State Parkway, a cloverleaf interchange that also serves as the northern terminus of the Sagtikos State Parkway. Southbound, this interchange is designed as exitSM1. After the Northern State, the Sunken Meadow continues northeast on the right-of-way used by the Sagtikos, crossing through Commack. Passing west of Valmont Village Park, the four-lane parkway crosses under New Highway, bending northeast through Commack, becoming a divided parkway as it enters exitSM2. This exit, which is only served northbound, connects the Sunken Meadow to NY454 (Veterans Memorial Highway) via Harned Road, a local street in Commack. The four-lane parkway continues northward through Commack, crossing under NY454 a short distance after the interchange. At the overpass, the westbound entrance from NY454 connects to the southbound Sunken Meadow.[2]
Immediately after crossing under NY454, the Sunken Meadow State Parkway continues northward into exitSM3, which serves as a cloverleaf interchange with NY25 (Jericho Turnpike). The four-lane parkway continues north out of the interchange, immediately entering exitSM3A, which northbound connects to County Route14 (CR14; Indian Head Road). Southbound, this interchange serves Old Indian Head Road, and is signed as part of exit SM2. After exitSM3A, the Sunken Meadow bends northeast, becoming a divided highway once again, crossing through Commack. The parkway bends north once again, crossing under Scholar Lane before paralleling Old Commack Road under Old Northport Road. After a bend to the northeast, the parkway enters Kings Park.[2]
In Kings Park, the Sunken Meadow State Parkway bends northward, crossing under the Long Island Rail Road's Port Jefferson Branch and entering exitSM4. ExitSM4 is a cloverleaf interchange that serves CR11 (Pulaski Road / East Northport Road). After the interchange with CR11, the Sunken Meadow enters Fort Salonga as a four-lane parkway with a wide median, bending northeast into exitSM5. ExitSM5, the last on the Sunken Meadow, is a cloverleaf interchange with NY25A (Fort Salonga Road). After crossing over NY25A, the Sunken Meadow State Parkway enters Sunken Meadow State Park at a toll barrier in the middle of the interchange. The parkway continues north through Sunken Meadow State Park and terminates at a roundabout near the Long Island Sound.[2]
Sunken Meadow State Park began as several parcels of land owned by the town of Smithtown that were combined to form the park. When the park first opened in 1928, it was 400 acres (160ha) large.[3] This land had been given to the state by a public vote of 493–436 (for vs. against) with promises of a new parkway and expanded facilities.[4] By 1949, this had been expanded over to 925 acres (374ha), with 10,000 feet (3,000m) of beach. Due to restrictive land usage in Nassau County for a parkway, Robert Moses and the Long Island State Park Commission announced that the burden of providing a beach on the northern shore of Long Island rested on Sunken Meadow State Park. However, no funding had been received for the new parkway, which had been requested.[5]
The Sunken Meadow State Parkway was considered as one part of three spurs of the Sagtikos State Parkway, which bridged the eastern gap of the Long Island parkway system. Then designated the Sunken Meadow Spur, the route was to connect the Northern State and Sagtikos to Sunken Meadow State Park. The Sagtikos State Parkway opened on September 29, 1952 with provisions for the Sunken Meadow State.[6] Originally when the park opened, an entrance was placed on a remote section of NY25A in Fort Salonga.[3]
Slated with a 1956 completion date, the first 2 miles (3.2km) from the Northern State to NY25 (Jericho Turnpike) opened on November 29, 1954,[7] with the landscaping at NY25 incomplete.[8] The LISPC believed that Sunken Meadow State Park, when the parkway was finished, was to become the second-most used park on Long Island, behind Jones Beach State Park.[7] On April 1, 1957, the Long Island Parks Commission opened the full alignment of the Sunken Meadow State Parkway to traffic, after an $11million (1957USD) construction project on the 7-mile (11km).[8]
With the opening of the new parkway, the Long Island Parks Commission expanded Sunken Meadow State Park to handle the additional traffic. The commission added four new parking lots, which brought capacity on the parkway from 3,000 vehicles to 7,500 vehicles. A new overlook was constructed, which also had the capacity for 1,250 more vehicles. A new cafeteria, extensions of the then-2,000-foot (610m) boardwalk another 1,700 feet (520m), along with other new facilities valued at $1million (1957USD) were also constructed. These expansions brought the size of Sunken Meadow State Park to 1,020 acres (410ha) with 11,700 feet (3,600m) of beachfront.[3]
From 1997–2001, engineers worked on a $6.5 million (2001USD) study that would expand Long Island's transportation system by 2020. Included within the plan was 130 miles (210km) of road widening, which included the Sunken Meadow State Parkway from the Northern State to NY454. These proposals would give the Sunken Meadow a restricted-access lane for buses and carpooling drivers, part of a 60 miles (97km) long system on Long Island.[9]
Porterfield, Byron (April 21, 1957). "Enlarging a Beach: Parkway Spur Opens Up Expanded Facilities at Sunken Meadow Park". The New York Times. New York, New York. p.111.
"Votes Park Land To State: Smithtown Decides to Convey Property on North Shore of Long Island". The New York Times. New York, New York. November 7, 1928. p.50.
"Sunken Meadow Adds To Acreage: Park at Smithtown Is Nearly Doubled in Two Years -'51 Crowd Set Record". The New York Times. New York, New York. January 6, 1952. p.80.