Maine State Route 9
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Termini and Mileage (2006)	Termini Main alignment: End of SULLIVAN ST, Berwick to Int of MAINE-N.B.CANADA, Calais Mileage Main alignment: 290.43 miles (total over all segments)
Regional and National Route Information	History as Pole Highway (1919-1925) The portions cosigned with ME 3, including ME 3's former routing in Augusta, were part of the Orange - White Kennebec-Penobscot Trail. History as New England Interstate (1925) Originally signed as part of NEI 9 to Wells. The subsequent routing to Calais was not part of the NEI system except for the US 1 cosigned portions which pertain to NEI 1 (and US 1A in Bangor, former US 1).
Notes and History	As with ME 11, ME 9 was once a small NEI expanded out to a major cross-state arterial. As NEI 9, the highway only reached Wells and as such barely entered Maine's south with an in-state length of just 18 miles. Today, however, ME 9 is a significant alternate to US 1 and a major route in its own right, extending all the way to Calais and the Canadian border. ME 9 did not achieve its current length until the Maine Great Renumbering, when it was extended from Wells along old ME 218 to Kennebunkport, new routing to near Biddeford Pool and most of ME 208 to Biddeford, then up to Saco and out to the coast and back to Scarborough along that portion of old ME 205, through Portland (briefly with ME 22, then new routing along Stevens Ave, Walton St and Ocean Ave), then new routing through North Yarmouth and Pownal to Sabattus, cosigned with ME 126 from there to Gardiner, using new routing on the east shore of the Androscoggin up to Augusta, joining ME 3 there up to South China where it continued along old ME 138 to Hampden via Unity and Dixmont, and then US 1 (now US 1A) into Bangor. From Bangor, it exited via ME 178 and took over ME 179 to Aurora, the Air Line Road between Aurora and Wesley, and finally the northern portion of ME 192 to Baring Plt where it ended at US 1. This terminus persisted until the mid-1990s when it was finally co-routed over US 1 into Calais and capped at the international line. There have been multiple minor realignments of ME 9, most recently 2007's slight re-route within Portland (shifting it to Woodford St and Forest Ave instead of Walton St), partially triplexing it with US 302 and ME 100. Although this routes the highway into the very busy Woodfords Corner, it avoids the residential neighbourhoods along Walton St and shortens the route by around 0.4 mile (Eric Bryant). The route log mileage above does not reflect this change. Much of ME 9 between Augusta and Hampden was cosigned with US 202 after its birth in the state; see US 202 for realignments pertaining to that route. ME 9 is a multi-state route with New Hampshire; see also ME 4, ME 11, ME 16, ME 25, ME 26, ME 109 and ME 110. See also ME 9B, ME 9A and ME 9W.
Archival Photographs
Junction US 1 and ME 9 in West Scarborough at Pine Point Rd, in the 1940s. (Private photographer in author's collection.)
Additional Photographs
US 1A and ME 9 in downtown Bangor. The directional banners and US shields are a little funny-looking. End of two routes in downtown Bangor, viewed SB at the (false) northern terminus of US 202, with two signage errors: ME 9 is not routed here (it comes with US 1A up ahead; this should be signed as "TO ME 9"), and this is the terminus of ME 100, which comes in from the right and does not continue along US 2 as the sign implies it does. On this view, US 202 starts here and proceeds straight ahead to US 1A. Exit 46 to ME 9 and ME 22 in Portland along the Maine Turnpike/I-95, showing typical exit convention. Note use of kilometres. Many Turnpike exits only obliquely connect with their intended destinations due to toll plaza exit configurations. SB I-95 exit 182A/separation I-395 from SB I-95 with ME 15, towards US 1A and ME 9 in Hampden. Advance signage for WB I-395 exit 3/US 1A/US 202/ME 9 and the end of I-395 at I-95. Note the use of the INTERSTATE MAINE 95 shield, and the signage "All Points North and South" which is ubiquitous for I-95 and also US 1. Exit 3 shows US 202, although it allegedly already ended. Advance signage on SB I-95 for the SB I-295 split. ME 9 and ME 126 are the first southbound exit directly on I-295 into Gardiner/Randolph.
Additional Resources	Maine Highways: Route 9 (JP Kirby)

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