Maine State Route 9


State Route 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.

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. Although anecdotes about unexploded ordnance deriving from bombers flying from the former Dow Air Force Base 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. 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.

Junction list