.gif)
County Route 17 (Suffolk County, New York)
Encyclopedia
Suffolk County Road 17 is a county road located in western Suffolk County
, New York
. The route runs north–south from New York State Route 27A
in East Islip
to New York State Route 111
near Hauppauge
, just south of exit 56 on Interstate 495
(the Long Island Expressway). Prior to 1966, CR 17 was part of NY 111.
. Evidence of County Road 17's former status as a State Highway can be found at the railroad bridge in Islip, which carries the Montauk Line of the Long Island Rail Road. Between then and the mid-to-late 1980s, CR 17 passed over the Heckscher State Parkway with no access, other than to nearby frontage roads that were used for residents. Exit 43A, linking CR 17 to the parkway, was built in the 1980s.
Carleton Avenue also runs through the grounds of the former Central Islip Psychiatric Center
. Nursing quarters were located on a frontage road along the west side of the street. The hospital was closed in 1990, and converted into a campus for the New York Institute of Technology
. The road was widened to four lanes in the 1990s from Heckscher Parkway to the northern terminus of the former hospital grounds.
North of the NYIT Campus, Carleton Avenue squeezes through downtown Central Islip. The former Central Islip railroad station
was on the corner of the Main Line
of the Long Island Rail Road
just south of County Road 100 (Suffolk Avenue). A modernized station was built down the tracks on the corner of CR 100 and Lowell Avenue.
) and encounters Bridge Road, a side road that mainly runs parallel to Motor Parkway for much of its run south of the Long Island Expressway.
The northern terminus is at a fork in the road
with NY 111 roughly 250 yards south of I-495. The NY 111/CR 17 intersection has quite a history. It was originally an at-grade interchange with an overhead expressway signpost holding two signs mounted on the corner that could be seen from the Long Island Expressway. The NY 111 shield was moved from one sign to the next in 1966, but the outline of the former NY 111 shield could still be seen on the original sign. Eventually, as the road was downgraded and the area developed, this sign came down. A Texaco
gas station was built at the fork in the road in the mid-1970s. It was shortly converted into a Park and Ride
for traffic from the Long Island Expressway.
Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The route runs north–south from New York State Route 27A
New York State Route 27A
New York State Route 27A is a state highway extending from Massapequa in Nassau County to Oakdale in Suffolk County on Long Island, New York in the United States...
in East Islip
East Islip, New York
East Islip is a hamlet and CDP in the Town of Islip, Suffolk County, New York, . At the time of the 2000 census, the CDP had 4,578 households and a population of 14,078.-History and overview:...
to New York State Route 111
New York State Route 111
New York State Route 111 is a state highway located in Suffolk County, New York, in the United States. It runs north and south through the towns of Islip and Smithtown between NY 27A in the town seat of Islip and the east end of the NY 25 and NY 25A concurrency in Smithtown's...
near Hauppauge
Hauppauge, New York
Hauppauge is a hamlet and CDP in the Town of Islip and the Town of Smithtown in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population of the CDP was 20,100 at the time of the 2000 census....
, just south of exit 56 on Interstate 495
Interstate 495 (New York)
Interstate 495 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway on Long Island in New York in the United States. The route extends for from the western portal of the Queens-Midtown Tunnel in the New York City borough of Manhattan to County Route 58 in Riverhead, Suffolk County...
(the Long Island Expressway). Prior to 1966, CR 17 was part of NY 111.
Carleton Avenue
The NY 111 designation was moved from Carleton Avenue to Islip Avenue, which runs parallel to Carleton Avenue between NY 27A and I-495, on September 13, 1966, in order to facilitate access to the Heckscher State ParkwayHeckscher State Parkway
The Heckscher State Parkway is an long parkway in Suffolk County, New York. The western terminus is at the Sagtikos State Parkway in West Islip, where it continues west as the Southern State Parkway. The eastern terminus is at the entrance to Heckscher State Park in Great River...
. Evidence of County Road 17's former status as a State Highway can be found at the railroad bridge in Islip, which carries the Montauk Line of the Long Island Rail Road. Between then and the mid-to-late 1980s, CR 17 passed over the Heckscher State Parkway with no access, other than to nearby frontage roads that were used for residents. Exit 43A, linking CR 17 to the parkway, was built in the 1980s.
Carleton Avenue also runs through the grounds of the former Central Islip Psychiatric Center
Central Islip Psychiatric Center
The Central Islip Psychiatric Center was a psychiatric hospital in Central Islip, New York, USA from 1889 until 1996.The center was one of the four major hospital "farms" in central Long Island to house the sick from New York City; the others were Kings Park, Pilgrim State Hospital, and Edgewood...
. Nursing quarters were located on a frontage road along the west side of the street. The hospital was closed in 1990, and converted into a campus for the New York Institute of Technology
New York Institute of Technology
New York Institute of Technology is a private, non-sectarian, co-educational research university in New York City. NYIT has five schools and two colleges, all with a strong emphasis on technology and applied scientific research...
. The road was widened to four lanes in the 1990s from Heckscher Parkway to the northern terminus of the former hospital grounds.
North of the NYIT Campus, Carleton Avenue squeezes through downtown Central Islip. The former Central Islip railroad station
Central Islip (LIRR station)
Central Islip is a station on the Main Line of the Long Island Rail Road. It is at the southwest corner of Suffolk County Road 100 and Lowell Avenue in Central Islip, New York...
was on the corner of the Main Line
Main Line (Long Island Rail Road)
The Main Line is a rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. It begins in Long Island City and runs along the middle of Long Island about 95 miles to Greenport...
of the Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
just south of County Road 100 (Suffolk Avenue). A modernized station was built down the tracks on the corner of CR 100 and Lowell Avenue.
Wheeler's Road
North of Suffolk Avenue, CR 17 moves northwest onto Wheeler's Road. This section kept its given name while NY 111 was renamed "Wheeler Road" in order to distinguish the state route from CR 17. From there, CR 17 crosses County Road 67 (the Long Island Motor ParkwayLong Island Motor Parkway
The Long Island Motor Parkway , also known as the Vanderbilt Parkway and Motor Parkway, was the first roadway designed for automobile use only. It was privately built by William Kissam Vanderbilt with overpasses and bridges to remove intersections...
) and encounters Bridge Road, a side road that mainly runs parallel to Motor Parkway for much of its run south of the Long Island Expressway.
The northern terminus is at a fork in the road
Fork in the road
A fork in the road is a metaphor, based on a literal expression, for a deciding moment in life or history when a major choice of options is required...
with NY 111 roughly 250 yards south of I-495. The NY 111/CR 17 intersection has quite a history. It was originally an at-grade interchange with an overhead expressway signpost holding two signs mounted on the corner that could be seen from the Long Island Expressway. The NY 111 shield was moved from one sign to the next in 1966, but the outline of the former NY 111 shield could still be seen on the original sign. Eventually, as the road was downgraded and the area developed, this sign came down. A Texaco
Texaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
gas station was built at the fork in the road in the mid-1970s. It was shortly converted into a Park and Ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
for traffic from the Long Island Expressway.