New York State Route 135 | ||||
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Seaford–Oyster Bay Expressway Ralph J. Marino Expressway |
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Map of Nassau and western Suffolk counties with NY 135 highlighted in red
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Route information | ||||
Maintained by NYSDOT | ||||
Length | 10.66 mi (17.16 km) | |||
Existed | by 1964 – present | |||
History | Completed in 1969 | |||
Major junctions | ||||
South end | Merrick Road in Seaford | |||
Southern State Parkway in Seaford Northern State Parkway in Plainview I-495 in Syosset |
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North end | NY 25 in Syosset | |||
Location | ||||
Counties | Nassau | |||
Highway system | ||||
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New York State Route 135 (NY 135) is a 10.66-mile (17.16 km) state highway in eastern Nassau County, New York, in the United States. The route is a limited-access highway that connects Seaford with Syosset. The highway runs from Merrick Road (unsigned County Route 27 or CR 27) in Seaford to NY 25 in Syosset. In between, NY 135 passes through Bethpage and Plainview and serves Bethpage State Park. The highway is ceremoniously designated as the Ralph J. Marino Expressway; however, it is more commonly known as the Seaford–Oyster Bay Expressway.
The origins of the expressway date back to 1954 when engineering pioneer Robert Moses proposed that a highway be built between Wantagh and Oyster Bay. Although communities along the proposed path of the highway opposed its construction, Moses eventually won the grant. Right-of-way was taken in 1958, and construction began in 1959. In 1967, the name of the expressway was renamed from the Wantagh–Oyster Bay Expressway to its current name. The expressway was completed to its current length in 1969; however, a stub exists at each end of the highway. The freeway was designated as NY 135 by 1964.
Around 1970, Robert Moses returned his focus to the expressway, proposing that the highway be extended north from Syosset. This extension would include a long bridge to Rye in Westchester County across the Long Island Sound. The plan received support until it was brought to the federal government, at which point towns began opposing his plans. Governor Nelson Rockefeller canceled the proposed extension in 1973. In 2007, a developer proposed building a 16-mile (26 km) tunnel to Rye instead. There have also been plans for a southern extension to Jones Beach, but none have been acted on.