 Construction first began in 1948 for a new freeway from Commack to Holbrook by the Suffolk County Department of Public Works.The $1.4 million (1949 USD) project was funded by federal aid and was designated as a new memorial for the war veterans.People had been arguing since 1947 to get a new county-funded war veteran memorial installed in Suffolk, including a number of other suggested projects such as trees at a park in Yaphank to a new general-use hospital.