Air show crowds shut Jones Beach lots, parkways: Officials

Motorists heading south to the Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach were made to turn around at the toll booths on the Wantagh and Meadowbrook state parkways starting at noon Saturday because of congested traffic and full parking lots, officials said.

With forecasts for sun and hot weather, officials predicted the two-day show at Jones Beach State Park could top the attendance record of 403,096 set in 2006.

The park was closed to new arrivals at 12:10 p.m., officials said, when the lots were filled.

Ocean Parkway was also closed east and westbound from Jones Beach Tower to Tobay Beach, according to an alert on the state Department of Transportation website informny.com.

The Wantagh southbound was closed from Exit 6W, Merrick Road, to Ocean Parkway, and the Meadowbrook southbound is closed from Exit M9, Merrick Road, to Ocean Parkway, the alert said. The alerts were posted at about 12:45 p.m., and the roads were still closed at 2 p.m.

A dispatcher for the State Police said traffic was backing up because of full parking lots and people trying to travel around on Bay Drive to get into another parking field hit an end and couldn’t turn around.

There is no expected time for the roadways to reopen, the dispatcher said.

With Joan Gralla