Interchange of the Week
Monday, 1 January 2001
Monday, 1 January 2001
Meadowbrook and Southern State Parkways, North
Merrick
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Orientation: The Southern State Parkway runs left to right, while the Meadowbrook State Parkway runs top to bottom.
Exit numbers: This interchange is Exit 22 on the Southern State Parkway and Exit M6 on the Meadowbrook State Parkway.
The interchange: As is clearly evident from the photo, this interchange began life as a "trumpet" interchange. From 1935 until 1956, this was the northern terminus of the Meadowbrook Parkway. When the parkway was extended northward, new connections had to be built, and the existing configuration was altered only slightly to accomodate them. In fact, many of the interchanges on the Long Island parkways have similar histories, but while some have been completely rebuilt in recent years, a few older forms still remain, like this example. Nevertheless, this interchange is scheduled for complete reconstruction after 2004.
As it stands today, the configuration is that of a full cloverleaf,
with the northbound-to-westbound ramp "unfolded" into a left-hand exit
(considered undesirable by today's standards). In addition, the two
southbound entrance ramps join each other before merging into the
mainline. Other ramps have been rebuilt to provide a greater turning
radius, most notably the westbound entrance ramp at the "head" of the
original trumpet. Notice that the ramp's original position is still
clearly visible here; a few other vestigial traces of the old ramps can
be seen as well.
