Ocean Parkway (Long Island) - History

History

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 escort from New Jersey last seen in the area with a client on on May 1, 2010. However, the remains were officially identified as other missing women who advertised prostitution services 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 is the work of a serial killer.

The eastbound direction of the parkway was significantly damaged by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. The westbound side of the road is expected to be reconfigured into a two-lane, two-way highway until the eastbound lanes are repaired.