The parkway was first proposed in 1928 when the town of Smithtown deeded over of land to the Long Island State Park Commission via public vote. Due to land use restrictions in Nassau County, Sunken Meadow was the first park east of New York City, because provisions for a parkway would be near impossible to build. Construction of the parkway commenced after the Sagtikos opened in September 1952, with the interchange at the Northern State Parkway. The first portion opened to traffic in November 1954 from the Northern State/Sagtikos to NY 25, with a slated completion in 1956. The parkway was completed in April 1957, opening on the 1st. As part of the parkway opening, improvements were made to Sunken Meadow State Park, including expanded vehicle capacity and a longer boardwalk. In 2001, the Sunken Meadow was proposed in a study to receive a widening, which would include new bus and carpool lanes.