Wantagh State Parkway

The Wantagh State Parkway is a 13.33-mile (21 km) controlled-access parkway on Long Island, New York, in the United States. It links the Ocean Parkway in Jones Beach State Park with the Northern State Parkway in Westbury. The parkway is located approximately 30 miles (48 km) east of Manhattan and 14 miles (23 km) east of the Nassau–Queens border.

One of the earliest Long Island parkways, construction on the Wantagh Parkway began in 1927, with the initial 5-mile (8 km) segment opening two years later as the Jones Beach Causeway, connecting Merrick Road in Wantagh to newly opened Jones Beach State Park.

The parkway is inventoried by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) as New York State Route 908T (NY 908T) – an unsigned reference route.

The Wantagh State Parkway begins at a traffic circle with the Ocean Parkway in Jones Beach State Park just north of the Atlantic Ocean shoreline. The parkway proceeds northward as a six-lane freeway, passing several of the park's parking fields. It then crosses under Bay Parkway and the Detective Betsy Horner Miller Cutrone Memorial Bridge, before bending northeast into an unnumbered interchange with the Bay Parkway. The parkway then widens to eight lanes as it bends northeast through Jones Beach State Park, intersecting with several u-turn ramps between directions. As the parkway makes a large bend to the northwest, it gains elevation and narrows to five lanes, and then crosses over Sloop Channel by way of the Sloop Channel Bridge. The Wantagh State Parkway then lands on Green Island, bending slightly to the northeast and running across the island. Upon reaching the north end of Green Island, the parkway crosses Goose Creek by way of the Goose Creek Bridge, landing on Great Island.

Still consisting of five lanes, the Wantagh State Parkway continues north across Great Island before bending northwest at the island's northern end. It then proceeds northwest over Seaman's Creek by way of the Seaman's Creek Bridge, on the north end of which the parkway finally lands on Long Island. After crossing onto Long Island, the parkway enters the hamlet of Wantagh, with Wantagh County Park on its west side Cedar Creek County Park on its east side. It soon enters downtown Wantagh where it is flanked on both sides by residential neighborhoods and side streets, soon reaching exit W6. Exit W6 serves as an interchange between the Wantagh and Merrick Road (CR 27). The Wantagh Parkway then crosses over Merrick Road, turning northwest and widening to six lanes. The parkway then bends back to the northeast, running along the eastern edge of Millpond County Park towards exit W5, which connects the parkway to NY 27 (Sunrise Highway).

After the ramps for exit W5 W, the Wantagh State Parkway continues north through Wantagh, crossing underneath the Babylon Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. The parkway, now running along the eastern edge of the Twin Lakes Preserve, passes Seaman Pond as it bends northwest into the Forest Lake section. The parkway passes a large pet cemetery and Wantagh High School before crossing under NY 105 (Jerusalem Avenue). After NY 105, the parkway bends northeast once again, entering exit W4, which connects to the Southern State Parkway. After the Southern State, Wantagh continues north, narrowing down to four lanes through the community of North Wantagh. The parkway then continues northwest, crossing under North Jerusalem Road and leaving North Wantagh.

Now running along the border between East Meadow and Levittown, the Wantagh State Parkway passes west of McLaren Memorial Park and continues northeast into an interchange with NY 24 (Hempstead Turnpike), where the parkway becomes four undivided lanes. A short distance later, the parkway crosses under NY 106 (Newbridge Road). The parkway bends north before briefly entering the hamlet of Hicksville in the Town of Oyster Bay. In the Town of Oyster Bay, the parkway soon reaches exit W2 – the parkway's interchange with Old Country Road (CR 25); it then immediately leaves the Town of Oyster Bay and enters the hamlet of New Cassel in the Town of North Hempstead. After exit W2, the Wantagh State Parkway continues northwest, soon crossing over the Main Line of the Long Island Rail Road. The parkway then proceeds northwest, soon entering the Incorporated Village of Westbury and reaching exit W1, which is a trumpet interchange with the Northern State Parkway's exit 33. This interchange serves as the northern terminus of the Wantagh, as its northbound lanes merge into the Northern State.

Many have erroneously referred to the Loop Parkway as the Jones Beach Causeway, most notably in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather.