Meadowbrook Parkway toll plaza near Jones Beach getting demolished

The outdated and abandoned Meadowbrook Parkway toll plaza, at the approach to Jones Beach State Park, is being demolished, a project that began Thursday.

Since last summer, automated booths at the entrances to parking fields have collected parking fees from credit cards or Empire State passes.

A redesign of that stretch of the roadway, one of a number of sweeping upgrades the park has undergone over the past few years, is expected to improve safety. And a “monument” welcome sign, whose design will echo the 1929 parks’ original style, is part of the plan.

Workers on Thursday began dismantling the "Welcome to Jones Beach" sign above the toll booths.