Ocean Parkway

The '''Ocean Parkway''' is a {{convert|15.59|mi|km|2|sing=on}} long state [[parkway]] that traverses [[Jones Beach Island]] between [[Jones Beach State Park]] and [[Captree State Park]] on [[Long Island]], [[New York]]. The Ocean Parkway begins at the southern terminus of the [[Meadowbrook State Parkway]], intersects the south end of the [[Wantagh State Parkway]], and ends just past the southern terminus of the [[Robert Moses Causeway]]. It is designated '''New York State Route 909D''', an unsigned [[reference route (New York)|reference route]]. == Route description == It is one of the more unusual parkways of Long Island, with most of its exits not being to [[freeway]] standards. For most of its length, it is similar to a divided highway with [[right-in/right-out]] access, with right-only intersections forming most of the junctions and turnaround points for traffic coming from the opposite direction. There are three exceptions—the junction with the [[Wantagh State Parkway]], which is a [[roundabout]], and the junctions with [[Robert Moses Causeway]] near Captree State Park and at [[Bay Parkway (Jones Beach)|Bay Parkway]] in Jones Beach State Park where it becomes [[Meadowbrook State Parkway]], both of which are full [[cloverleaf interchange]]s. [[Image:Robert Moses Parkway Exit on the Ocean Pkwy.JPG|left|thumb|Exit for Robert Moses Causeway on the Ocean Parkway]] Because of its southern location, Ocean Parkway is one of the few parkways in the entire state whose entire length allows truck traffic, albeit for local deliveries only. This is because an exemption to the "No Trucks" regulation was made for any length of parkway that lies south of either Merrick Road or Montauk Highway (Nassau County Route 27A and [[New York State Route 27A]]). There are no other truck routes south of this route, making the parkways the default route for deliveries to the beaches. It is said, that on a clear sunny day the [[Manhattan]] skyline can be seen from as far as the [[Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk County]] portion of the parkway, approximately 40–45 miles away. == History == {{See also|Long Island serial killer}} Originally, there had been plans to extend the parkway to nearby [[Fire Island]], and two attempts were made to authorize construction. However, residents resisted the plan: the first time for economic reasons, the second for environmental reasons. Although in 1964, [[Robert Moses Causeway]] was extended from its original terminus on Captree Island to Fire Island leading to the potential extension of Ocean Parkway, park legislation in the 1960s blocked further plans to extend the parkway. In December 2010, Suffolk County Police found four decomposed bodies along the westbound shoulder of Ocean Parkway near Oak Beach while searching for Shannan Gilbert, a missing prostitute from [[New Jersey]] last seen on May 1, 2010, in the area with a client. However, the remains were officially identified as other missing women who advertised services for prostitution on [[Craigslist]]. In late March and early April 2011, four more sets of human remains were found by police during additional searches along the parkway. Police have not identified the bodies. An investigation is ongoing to determine if this the work of a [[serial killer]]. ==Exit list== {{NYinttop|length_ref=|exit=yes|unnum=yes}} |- |rowspan=3|[[Nassau County, New York|Nassau]] |rowspan=3|[[Jones Beach State Park]] |rowspan=2|0.00 |{{jct|state=NY|Parkway|Meadowbrook}} |Continuation beyond Bay Parkway |- |[[Bay Parkway (Jones Beach)|Bay Parkway]] | |- |2.00 |{{jct|state=NY|Parkway|Wantagh|Parkway|Southern|dir1=north|to2=yes}} |[[Roundabout]] |- |colspan=5 align="center"|At-grade intersections for {{convert|13.27|mi|2}} |- |rowspan=2|[[Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk]] |rowspan=2|[[Captree State Park]] |15.27 |{{jct|state=NY|Parkway|Robert Moses Cswy|location1=[[Robert Moses State Park (Long Island)|Robert Moses State Park]]|location2=Fire Island}} | |- |15.59 |Toll booths |Eastern terminus of state maintenance {{NYintbtm}} ==External links== {{Commons category}} *[http://www.nycroads.com/roads/ocean/ Ocean Parkway Article from NYCROADS Web Site] *[http://www.nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/info.asp?parkID=46 Jones Beach State Park] *[http://www.nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/info.asp?parkID=151 Captree State Park] *[http://www.greaternyroads.info/nypark/ocean/index.htm Ocean Parkway (Greater New York Roads)] {{Long Island Parkways}} {{coord missing|New York}}