New York State Route 135

This article is about the current alignment of NY 135. For previous alignments of NY 135, see New York State Route 135 (disambiguation).
New York State Route 135 marker
New York State Route 135
Seaford–Oyster Bay Expressway
Ralph J. Marino Expressway
Map
NY 135 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by NYSDOT
Length10.78 mi[1] (17.35 km)
Existedby 1964[2]–present
HistoryCompleted in 1969[3]
Major junctions
South endMerrick Road in Seaford
Major intersections
North end NY 25 in Syosset
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNew York
CountiesNassau
Highway system
← NY 134→ NY 136

New York State Route 135 (NY 135) is a 10.8-mile (17.4 km) freeway in eastern Nassau County, New York, in the United States. The route 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 cancelled 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 yet.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference NYSDOT_database was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference 1964map was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference us1970 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).