State Route 9 (SR 9) is a numbered state highway in Maine, running from the New Hampshire border at Berwick in the west to the Canada–US border with New Brunswick at Calais in the east. SR 9 runs a total of 289 miles (465 km).
Route description
State Route 9 is a meandering highway that works its way from New Hampshire to Canada. It frequently runs concurrent with other highways listed below and also frequently changes direction. For instance, in Kennebunk, State Route 9 travels in a westerly direction even though it is signed as eastbound. State Route 9 runs through most of Maine's major cities including Biddeford, Saco, South Portland, Portland, Augusta, and Bangor.
Over the years, a number of improvements have been made by the Route 9 Committee, a partnership of local government officials and business interests in the Baileyville-Calais area.
The Airline
The leg from Bangor to Calais is often referred to as "The Airline", commonly thought to be due to its shorter route than the older U.S. 1. (Before the coming of air travel, the term airline often referred to such a shortcut.) Although anecdotes about unexploded ordnance deriving from bombers flying from the former Dow Air Force Base (now Bangor International Airport) using a number of towers and landmarks along "The Airline", in fact the term goes back to the early 1850s as a contrast to the shoreline route.[2] The last section of "The Airline" was paved in 1973 in Crawford and many old sections of the road are visible to the side of the present roadway. The "Whale's Back", a 2-mile stretch built atop an esker in Hancock County was one of the most notable features of the highway until it was rebuilt.[3]
Future bypass of Brewer
There have been plans to extend I-395 connect it to SR 9 began as early as 2001.[4] In February 2008, MaineDOT suggested five possible routes to extend I-395 to SR 9, with two in particular designated as "State's Choice" and "Holden's Choice".[5] The state approved the "Holden's Choice" route, designated 2B-2. All three affected communities issued resolutions in 2014 opposing this route,[6].
The state went forward with the project — not as an I-395 extension — but as a 5.5-mile (9 km) super two rerouting of SR 9. The design was finalized in 2021, with construction commencing in 2022 and completion expected in 2025.[7] When completed, the existing segment of Route 9 through downtown Brewer will be redesignated as Route 9 Business.[8]
Junction list
| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| York | Berwick | 0.0 | 0.0 |    NH 9 west / NH 236 west (Market Street) – Somersworth | Continuation into New Hampshire |
| 0.2 | 0.32 |  SR 236 (Allen Street) – South Berwick | Northern terminus of SR 236 | ||
| North Berwick | 7.2 | 11.6 |   SR 4 south (Elm Street) | Southern terminus of concurrency | |
| 7.6 | 12.2 |  SR 4 north (High Street) – Sanford | Northern terminus of concurrency | ||
| Wells | 11.4 | 18.3 |  SR 9B (Littlefield Road) – Ogunquit | Western terminus of SR 9B | |
| 13.5 | 21.7 |  SR 9A (Crediford Road) – Sanford | Western terminus of SR 9A | ||
| 14.3 | 23.0 |  SR 109 north (Sanford Road) – Sanford | Northern terminus of concurrency | ||
| 14.9 | 24.0 |   I-95 / Maine Turnpike | Maine Turnpike exit 19 | ||
| 16.5 | 26.6 |  US 1 south (Post Road) – Ogunquit SR 109 | Southern terminus of SR 109 Southern terminus of US 1/SR 9 concurrency | ||
| 18.3 | 29.5 | US 1 north (Post Road) – Kennebunk | Northern terminus of US 1/SR 9 concurrency | ||
| Kennebunk | 22.5 | 36.2 |  SR 9A / SR 35 (Port Road) – Kennebunk Center | Eastern terminus of SR 9A Southern terminus of SR 35 | |
| Biddeford | 31.8 | 51.2 |  SR 208 south (Bridge Road) – Biddeford Pool | Southern terminus of concurrency | |
| 37.1 | 59.7 |  SR 111 (Alfred Street) / SR 208 – Arundel, Kennebunk | Eastern terminus of SR 111 Northern terminus of SR 208 | ||
| Saco | 38.1 | 61.3 | US 1 south (Elm Street) – Biddeford US 1 north / SR 5 south (Main Street) – Scarborough SR 5 / SR 112 north (North Street) – Buxton | Southern terminus of SR 112 | |
| Old Orchard Beach | 45.7 | 73.5 |   SR 5 to SR 98 (Old Orchard Street) | Southern terminus of SR 5 | |
| Cumberland | Scarborough | 51.1 | 82.2 | US 1 south – Saco | Southern terminus of concurrency |
| 54.2 | 87.2 |  SR 114 (Gorham Road) – Gorham SR 207 (Black Point Road) | Southern terminus of SR 114 Northern terminus of SR 207 | ||
| 55.4 | 89.2 |    To I-95 / I-295 / Maine Turnpike (Scarborough Connector) – Portland | Partial interchange | ||
| South Portland | 56.7 | 91.2 | To I-95 / I-295 / Maine Turnpike (Maine Turnpike Approach) | Unsigned SR 703 | |
| 56.8 | 91.4 | US 1 north (Main Street) – South Portland | Northern terminus of concurrency | ||
| 57.6 | 92.7 |  I-295 north – Portland | I-295 exit 3; partial interchange No access to SR 9 from I-295 north | ||
| Portland | 59.4 | 95.6 | To I-95 / Maine Turnpike (Skyway Drive) | Maine Turnpike exit 46 | |
| 59.7 | 96.1 |  SR 22 west (Congress Street) | Western terminus of concurrency | ||
| 61.2 | 98.5 |  SR 22 east (Congress Street) | Eastern terminus of concurrency To I-295 / US 1 | ||
| 61.2 | 98.5 |  SR 25 (Brighton Avenue) | |||
| 62.6 | 100.7 |   US 302 east / SR 100 south (Forest Avenue) | Southern terminus of concurrency To I-295 / US 1 | ||
| 62.7 | 100.9 | US 302 west / SR 100 north (Forest Avenue) | Northern terminus of concurrency | ||
| 63.9 | 102.8 |  SR 26 (Washington Avenue) – Gray, Munjoy Hill | To I-295 / US 1 | ||
| Falmouth | 67.3 | 108.3 | To I-295 / US 1 (Bucknam Road) | I-295 exit 10 | |
| North Yarmouth | 74.3 | 119.6 |  SR 115 east (Walnut Hill Road) – Yarmouth | Southern terminus of concurrency | |
| 74.6 | 120.1 | SR 115 west (Walnut Hill Road) – Gray, Pineland Center | Northern terminus of concurrency | ||
| Androscoggin | Durham | 86.9 | 139.9 |  SR 136 south (Royalsborough Road) – Freeport | Southern terminus of concurrency |
| 87.3 | 140.5 | SR 136 north (Royalsborough Road) – Auburn | Northern terminus of concurrency | ||
| 91.1 | 146.6 |  SR 125 south (Pinkham Brook Road) – Freeport | Southern terminus of SR 9/125 concurrency | ||
| Lisbon | 91.4 | 147.1 | SR 125 north (Main Street) – West Bowdoin SR 196 east (Lisbon Street) – Topsham | Northern terminus of SR 9/125 concurrency Eastern terminus of SR 9/196 concurrency | |
| 92.2 | 148.4 | SR 196 west (Lisbon Street) – Lewiston | Western terminus of SR 9/196 concurrency | ||
| Sabattus | 99.3 | 159.8 | I-95 / Maine Turnpike – Gardiner, Augusta, Lewiston, Portland | Maine Turnpike exit 86 | |
| 100.7 | 162.1 |  SR 126 west (Sabattus Street) – Lewiston | Western terminus of concurrency | ||
| 101.7 | 163.7 |  SR 132 (Wales Road) – Wales, Monmouth | Southern terminus of SR 132 | ||
| 102.9 | 165.6 |  SR 197 (Litchfield Road) – Richmond | Western terminus of SR 197 | ||
| Kennebec | West Gardiner | 117.3 | 188.8 |   I-95 south / Maine Turnpike south – Lewiston, Auburn | Maine Turnpike exit 102; partial interchange |
| 117.4 | 188.9 |  I-295 to I-95 north / Maine Turnpike north – Augusta, Brunswick | I-295 exit 51 | ||
| Gardiner | 120.5 | 193.9 |  US 201 south (Brunswick Avenue) – Brunswick | Southern terminus of US 201/SR 9/126 concurrency | |
| 120.9 | 194.6 |  US 201 / SR 27 north (Maine Avenue) – Hallowell, Augusta SR 24 (Maine Avenue) – Richmond | Northern terminus of US 201/SR 9 concurrency Western terminus of SR 9/27/126 concurrency Northern terminus of SR 24 | ||
| Randolph | 121.1 | 194.9 | SR 27 south / SR 126 east (Water Street) – Randolph, USVA Togus, Wiscasset | Eastern terminus of SR 9/27/126 concurrency | |
| Augusta | 126.8 | 204.1 |  SR 17 south (Eastern Avenue) – USVA Togus, Rockland | Southern terminus of SR 9/17 concurrency | |
| 127.3 | 204.9 |  US 202 west / US 201 / SR 17 / SR 100 south to I-95 south – Gardiner, Winthrop SR 105 (Cony Street) – Windsor | Northern terminus of SR 9/17 concurrency Southern terminus of US 201/202/SR 9/100 concurrency Western terminus of SR 105 | ||
| 127.9 | 205.8 | US 201 / SR 100 north (Riverside Drive) – Waterville | Northern terminus of US 201/SR 9/100 concurrency | ||
| 128.9 | 207.4 |  SR 3 west (Augusta Bypass) to I-95 – Waterville, Portland | Western terminus of US 202/SR 3/9 concurrency | ||
| China | 138.1 | 222.3 |  SR 32 north (Vassalboro Road) | Western terminus of concurrency | |
| 139.3 | 224.2 | SR 32 south (Windsor Road) – Windsor | Eastern terminus of concurrency | ||
| 139.5 | 224.5 | SR 3 east (Belfast Road) – Belfast | Eastern terminus of US 202/SR 3/9 concurrency | ||
| 146.6 | 235.9 |  SR 137 west (Waterville Road) – Winslow | Western terminus of concurrency | ||
| Albion | 153.9 | 247.7 | SR 137 east (Belfast Road) – Freedom | Eastern terminus of concurrency | |
| Waldo | Unity | 160.2 | 257.8 |  SR 139 west (School Street) | Western terminus of US 202/SR 9/139 concurrency |
| 161.1 | 259.3 |  SR 139 east / SR 220 south (Thorndike Road) | Eastern terminus of US 202/SR 9/139 concurrency Southern terminus of US 202/SR 9/220 concurrency | ||
| Troy | 164.1 | 264.1 | SR 220 north (Detroit Road) | Northern terminus of US 202/SR 9/220 concurrency | |
| Penobscot | Dixmont | 170.8 | 274.9 |  SR 7 (Moosehead Trail) – Newport, Brooks | |
| 173.0 | 278.4 |  SR 143 (Simpson Corner Road) – Etna | Southern terminus of SR 143 | ||
| Newburgh | 181.4 | 291.9 |  SR 69 to I-95 (Carmel Road) – Carmel, Winterport | ||
| Hampden | 187.5 | 301.8 | US 202 east | Eastern terminus of US 202/SR 9 concurrency | |
| 187.9 | 302.4 |  US 1A west (Main Road) – Winterport | Western terminus of US 1A/SR 9 concurrency | ||
| Bangor | 192.4 | 309.6 |   I-395 / US 202 / SR 15 to I-95 – Brewer, Ellsworth, Orono, Newport | I-395 exit 3; US 202 joins northbound and leaves southbound | |
| 193.1 | 310.8 |  US 202 east to US 2 / SR 100 (Main Street) | Eastern terminus of US 1A/202/SR 9 concurrency | ||
| Brewer | 193.7 | 311.7 | US 1A east (Wilson Street) – Ellsworth, Bar Harbor | Eastern terminus of US 1A/SR 9 concurrency | |
| 194.0 | 312.2 | State Street (former US 1A) SR 178 | Southern terminus of SR 178 | ||
| Eddington | 198.1 | 318.8 | SR 178 north (Riverside Drive) – Old Town | Eastern terminus of concurrency | |
| 204.6 | 329.3 |  SR 46 (Jarvis Gore Drive) – Holden | Northern terminus of SR 46 | ||
| Clifton | 207.0 | 333.1 |  SR 180 (Rebel Hill Road) – Otis, Ellsworth | Northern terminus of SR 180 | |
| Hancock | Amherst | 217.4 | 349.9 |  SR 181 – Ellsworth | Northern terminus of SR 181 |
| Aurora | 219.5 | 353.3 |  SR 179 – Ellsworth | Northern terminus of SR 179 | |
| Washington | Beddington | 233.5 | 375.8 |  SR 193 (Beddington Road) – Deblois, Cherryfield | Northern terminus of SR 193 |
| Wesley | 258.4 | 415.9 |  SR 192 (Jr. Williams Road) – Machias | ||
| Baileyville | 281.1 | 452.4 | US 1 north – Baileyville, Houlton | Southern terminus of concurrency | |
| Baring | 282.3 | 454.3 |  SR 191 – Machias | Northern terminus of SR 191 | |
| Calais | 285.8 | 460.0 |  To Route 1 (International Drive) – Saint John NB | International Avenue Bridge - As of 2010, all commercial vehicles must use this border crossing | |
| 286.3 | 460.8 |  To Route 170 – Milltown NB | Milltown International Bridge | ||
| 287.9 | 463.3 | US 1 south (Main Street) – Machias | Eastern terminus of concurrency | ||
| 288.3 | 464.0 | To Route 170 | Ferry Point International Bridge Eastern terminus of SR 9 | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| |||||
See also
References
- ^ "Map Viewer". Maine Office of GIS. Maine DOT. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
- ^ "The Airline Road". Maine's French Communities. Archived from the original on 2001-07-07.
- ^ Dudley, John. "The Airline Road". mainething.com.
- ^ "I-395/Rt. 9 Connector Study". Archived from the original on November 30, 2001. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
- ^ Ricker, Nok-Noi (February 21, 2008). "MDOT pitches 5 ideas for I-395-Route 9 link". Bangor Daily News. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved 2011-03-01.
- ^ Gagnon, Dawn; Ricker, Nok-Noi (September 23, 2014). "US Fish, Wildlife Service issues report on proposed I-395-Route 9 connector". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 2014-10-23.
- ^ "Latest Updates - I-395/Route 9 Connector Project Project | MaineDOT". www.maine.gov. Retrieved 2022-11-13.
- ^ Route 9 Connector Project, Overview & Description | MaineDOT, retrieved 2023-02-28
External links
Media related to Maine State Route 9 at Wikimedia Commons- "Maine State Route 9". RoadsAroundME. Floodgap Roadgap.
- Carey Kish (2017-11-13). "HIKING IN MAINE: AIRLINE ROAD IS BOUNTIFUL FOR HIKERS".
