New York State Route 135 - History - Early Plans

Early Plans

In 1954, the New York State Department of Public Works (NYSDPW) unveiled plans for a six-lane expressway that would go from the Wantagh State Parkway in Wantagh to NY 106 in Oyster Bay. Unlike the Western Nassau Expressway, a highway proposed two years earlier that would go through densely populated areas in western Nassau County, this roadway would go through lightly populated areas, meaning that acquiring the necessary right-of-way would be easier. Under Robert Moses' original plans for the highway, the northern terminus of the expressway would be placed near brand new local ferry terminals in Oyster Bay. From there, commuters could connect to the city of Stamford, Connecticut, 12 miles (19 km) to the north by way of ferries across Long Island Sound. The proposed highway was added to the New York State Highway Law as follows, with annotations in brackets:

... Seaford–Oyster Bay expressway, beginning at a point on the Wantagh parkway in the vicinity of the hamlet of Wantagh, thence running generally through or near the hamlets of Seaford, Bethpage and Plainview to a point on state highway nine thousand twenty-one south of the village of Oyster Bay; ...

One of the major problems with the proposed alignment of the expressway was that it divided each community that it passed through. This was met by protests from all of the communities. To remedy the concerns, Lewis Waters, the Oyster Bay Town Supervisor, proposed a new alignment for the expressway. Under his plan, it would now begin at the Ocean Parkway in Tobay Beach, cross Great South Bay and enter West Amityville at Clocks Boulevard. From West Amityville, the expressway was to turn to the northeast near the current-day Sunrise Mall, and progress its way through Massapequa and Farmingdale into Bethpage State Park. The highway was to cross through Bethpage State Park using the old right-of-way for the Bethpage State Parkway through the communities of Old Bethpage and Plainview. From there, it would veer to the northwest, approaching and intersecting with the Jericho Turnpike (NY 25) about 0.75-mile (1.21 km) from its current northern terminus. At the Long Island Rail Road's Port Jefferson Branch, it would follow the originally planned alignment, but would end at NY 25A instead of NY 106.

This plan, supported by the residents of Oyster Bay, would require the acquisition of 185 residential homes. In comparison, the alignment planned by Moses would result in the elimination of 450 homes. However, Moses' plan won out, to much of their dismay.