Wantagh Parkway: Skip Southern State to the South Shore

The Problem

The Southern State Parkway is Nassau County’s main east-west highway for south shore commuters, and it shows. Every weekday afternoon, the Southern State eastbound from Valley Stream through Lynbrook, Rockville Centre, and Baldwin is a slow crawl. The road was built in the 1920s by Robert Moses for a different era — narrow lanes, short merge ramps, low overpasses — and it simply cannot handle modern traffic volumes. If you’re on the Northern State or the LIE and your destination is anywhere on the south shore — Wantagh, Seaford, Bellmore, Merrick, Freeport — the default route dumps you onto the Southern State, where you sit. And sit. Meanwhile, Wantagh Parkway runs straight north-south like an arrow, connecting the Northern State to the south shore barrier island, and most of the time it’s wide open.

The Shortcut

Wantagh Parkway is a limited-access parkway that runs approximately 7 miles from its northern terminus at the Northern State Parkway south through Levittown and Wantagh, crossing Merrick Road and Sunrise Highway, continuing across the bay to Jones Beach Island. It has no traffic lights, no commercial vehicles, and a speed limit of 55 mph that most people treat as a suggestion.

The move: Instead of taking the LIE or Northern State west to reach the Southern State and then fighting eastbound traffic to your south shore destination, stay on the Northern State to the Wantagh Parkway interchange (it’s well-signed). Take Wantagh Parkway south. In about five minutes you’re crossing Hempstead Turnpike. Two minutes later you’re at Merrick Road. The parkway crosses over the Southern State — you’ll see the traffic backed up below you — and deposits you directly into the south shore communities.

Specific exits:

• Hempstead Turnpike — for Levittown, East Meadow
• Merrick Road (Exit for Wantagh/Bellmore) — for downtown Wantagh, Bellmore, Seaford
• Sunrise Highway — for Wantagh station area, southern commercial district
• Continue south — for Jones Beach State Park, either the east or west end

If your destination is Merrick or Bellmore, exit at Merrick Road and head east. For Seaford, continue south and exit at the Seaford approach. For Freeport, exit at Sunrise Highway and take it west briefly.

When to Use It

• Weekday afternoons (3:30 PM–7 PM) heading to the south shore from anywhere north. This is the primary use case. Coming from work in Melville, Plainview, Jericho, or anywhere along the Northern State? Wantagh Parkway south skips the Southern State entirely.
• Saturday mornings heading to Jones Beach. Summer beach traffic on the Southern State heading to the Meadowbrook or Loop Parkway is brutal. Wantagh Parkway is a direct shot to Jones Beach and often has less traffic than the Meadowbrook Parkway, which is the “main” beach route.
• After evening events at Nassau Coliseum / UBS Arena area. Heading south after a game or concert, the highways are clogged. Wantagh Parkway south from Northern State avoids the Hempstead Turnpike and Meadowbrook mess.
• Rainy weekday mornings going north. The reverse works for morning commuters — take Wantagh Parkway north from the south shore to reach Northern State or LIE without ever touching the Southern State.

When NOT to Use It

• Summer Sunday afternoons. Everyone is leaving Jones Beach at the same time. Wantagh Parkway northbound from the beach is stop-and-go from the toll plaza to Merrick Road. The parkway that usually takes 5 minutes can take 30-40 minutes.
• 4th of July. Jones Beach fireworks draw 100,000+ people. Wantagh Parkway becomes a one-way road effectively — you’ll get in, but you won’t get out for hours.
• When there’s a major accident on the parkway. Wantagh Parkway is just two lanes in each direction with a grass median. One accident shuts down half the road. Check 511NY before committing.
• If you’re heading to Rockville Centre or Lynbrook. These communities are too far west for Wantagh Parkway to help. Use the Meadowbrook Parkway or Peninsula Boulevard instead.

Time Savings

Typical Tuesday at 5:15 PM, Plainview to Wantagh:

Consistent 10-15 minute savings. On Fridays or days with Southern State incidents, the savings jump to 20-25 minutes.

For Jones Beach specifically, the savings are even bigger in summer — Wantagh Parkway direct from Northern State vs. Southern State to Loop Parkway can save 20-30 minutes on a hot Saturday.

Pro Tips

• The Northern State interchange is a left exit. If you’re on Northern State eastbound, the Wantagh Parkway exit is a left-lane exit. Get over early — Nassau County drivers are not known for letting you merge.
• No E-ZPass needed for Jones Beach. The Jones Beach toll was eliminated. You can drive straight through to the beach without stopping. This makes Wantagh Parkway even faster than it used to be.
• Merrick Road exit vs. Sunrise Highway exit. These are only about a half mile apart. Merrick Road puts you in the commercial district with restaurants and shops. Sunrise puts you closer to the train station and residential areas south of the tracks.
• The Wantagh Parkway bike path runs parallel. On nice days, the multi-use path along the parkway is packed with cyclists and joggers at the road crossings near Merrick Road. Watch for pedestrians at those intersections.
• Parkway flooding happens. The southern section of Wantagh Parkway between Merrick Road and the bay crossing is low-lying. During major storms or king tides, it floods. If there’s a coastal flood advisory, check conditions before heading south.
• Use Wantagh Parkway to reach the Wantagh LIRR station. Exit at Sunrise Highway, turn right, and the station is less than a quarter mile west. One of the easiest park-and-ride setups on the south shore.
• Combine with Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway. Route 135 runs parallel one town east. If Wantagh Parkway is backed up (rare), Route 135 south from the LIE to Sunrise Highway is your backup plan. Same concept, slightly less convenient exits.