Delaware Route 9

This article describes a Delaware state highway numbered 9. For the U.S. highway with the same number, see U.S. Route 9 in Delaware.

Delaware Route 9
Route information
Maintained by DelDOT and USACE
Length:	58.21 mi[1] (93.68 km)
Major junctions
South end:	DE 1 near Dover AFB
	DE 8 in Little Creek DE 42 in Leipsic DE 6 near Smyrna DE 299 near Odessa DE 72 near Delaware City DE 141 / DE 273 in New Castle I-295 / US 40 in Wilmington Manor I-495 (via DE 9A) near Port of Wilmington US 13 in Wilmington I-95 / US 202 in Wilmington
North end:	DE 2 in Wilmington
Highway system
Routes in Delaware ← US 9 DE 10 →

Delaware Route 9 (DE 9) is a 58-mile (93 km) state highway that connects with Delaware Route 1 at the Dover Air Force Base (only just less than a mile south of the southern terminus of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway) to Interstate 95 in the City of Wilmington. Much like their U.S. Highway counterparts (Delaware State Routes, with some exceptions, follow the AASHTO system used for numbering U.S. highways), Delaware Route 9 runs east of Delaware Route 1, but unlike the more heavily-traveled DE 1, DE 9 is a designated scenic highway known as the Route 9 Coastal Heritage Scenic Byway south of New Castle, and also has a commercial truck restriction between Dover A.F.B. and Delaware City. Delaware's Coastal Heritage Greenway follows much of Delaware Route 9 south of Wilmington, linking many important sites along the Delaware Bay.

DE 9 was first designated by 1936 to run from US 113 (now DE 1) southeast of Dover north to US 13 in Smyrna, following its current alignment to Leipsic and Smyrna-Leipsic Road to Smyrna. In the 1950s, the road was extended to US 13 Alternate (now US 13) in Wilmington, in which it was rerouted at Leipsic to follow its current alignment to Wilmington. DE 9 was extended further north to DE 2 by the 1970s. The route was rerouted to bypass downtown New Castle in the 1980s. The intersection with DE 1 was reconstructed into an interchange in 2009.

Route description

Dover A.F.B. to Port Penn

DE 9 begins at an interchange with DE 1 just south of the toll road terminus (Exit 92) and is in part a two-lane, undivided road that goes through most of the marshlands that make up the Delaware Bay watershed.^[1][2] From the southern terminus north to New Castle, DE 9 is designated as the Route 9 Coastal Heritage Scenic Byway, a road that is part of the Delaware Scenic and Historic Highways system and is noted for following the Delaware River and Delaware Bay shoreline.^[3] Past the Dover A.F.B. area, DE 9 goes through the towns of Little Creek, where it intersects DE 8, and Leipsic, where it intersects DE 42, crossing several tributaries of the Delaware Bay on either low or high fixed crossings. North of Leipsic, DE 9 passes through the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge which has significant populations of nesting Bald Eagles, taking advantage of the populations of brackish water striped bass and fresh water sunfish that reside in the area.^[1][2]

Past Bombay Hook, the road intersects DE 6 and then crosses over the Smyrna River on a high-level crossing (this was a drawbridge in the past) and then splits off south of Odessa with DE 299. The road, after crossing over several more tidal rivers, then draws up to the headwaters of the Delaware Bay, at Augustine Beach, in which the Salem Nuclear Power Plant in New Jersey can be easily seen. DE 9 then enters the small town of Port Penn, heads briefly west, then turns north toward Delaware City.^[1][2]

Port Penn to Delaware City

DE 9 crosses the C&D Canal on the Reedy Point Bridge.

Past Port Penn, DE 9 continues north through the Delaware marshlands on a more modern two lane road with emergency shoulders. For four miles (6 km), the road crisscrosses with several swamps and drainage canals until the road crosses the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal on the Reedy Point Bridge. Opened in 1966, the high-level crossing replaced a vertical-lift drawbridge as part of the 1960s canal improvement project that eliminated all locks on the canal and also built both the Summit Bridge (U.S. Route 301 and Delaware Routes 71 and 896) and the Canal Lift Bridge for the Pennsylvania Railroad.^[1][2]

North of the canal itself, the road then crosses over both Fort Dupont and the Governor Bacon Health Center before entering Delaware City itself. Just past the canal, but before Delaware City, DE 9 crosses over the Delaware City Channel, which was before the 1920s, the eastern terminus of the C & D Canal. The Delaware City Channel, which connects the present-day canal with the Delaware River, serves as a marina, but access to the canal is restricted because the drawbridge, which DE 9 uses, is currently out of service. After going through Delaware City, the road then continues north and curves west to the intersection with DE 72 at the Delaware City Oil Refinery, at which point the commercial truck restrictions end.^[1][2]

Delaware City to Wilmington

DE 9 northbound at Castle Hill Drive/Buttonwood Avenue north of New Castle

DE 9 turns right at the beginning of DE 72, thus going north again. DE 9 continues north through the Valero Oil Refinery complex, with its northern boundaries at the Red Lion Creek bridge. After crossing Red Lion Creek, the road passes the northern training grounds for the Delaware National Guard and then enters New Castle near a tidal retention gate. In New Castle, DE 9 intersects with two state routes, DE 273, which connects New Castle with Rising Sun, Maryland and DE 141, which bypasses Wilmington to the west. DE 9 then, for the first time, becomes a four-lane road and then intersects with I-295 and US 40 at the base of the Delaware Memorial Bridge, I-495 (via DE 9A) at the Port of Wilmington, and then US 13 in Wilmington. DE 9 continues with US 13 into Downtown Wilmington, where, just past the Christina River drawbridge and a low-clearance underpass for Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, US 13 breaks off. DE 9 then continues through the downtown business district on Fourth Street before crossing under I-95 and terminating at DE 2 in the city's Little Italy district.^[1][2]

History

What would become DE 9 originally existed as a county road by 1920.^[4] By 1924, the road between Leipsic and Smyrna was upgraded to a state highway. In addition, the current alignment of DE 9 around Taylors Bridge and between Delaware City and Wilmington was paved.^[5] By 1932, what would become DE 9 between the Kitts Hummock area and Leipsic was upgraded to a state highway, along with the road between Port Penn and Delaware City and New Castle and Wilmington.^[6] When Delaware assigned state route numbers by 1936, DE 9 was designated to run from US 113 (now DE 1) west of Kitts Hummock north to US 13 in Smyrna, following its current alignment to Leipsic and Smyrna-Leipsic Road to Smyrna.^[7] By 1942, what is now DE 9 between the Taylors Bridge area and Port Penn was paved.^[8] DE 9 was extended north to US 13 Alternate (now US 13) in Wilmington by 1959, being rerouted off Smyrna-Leipsic Road to follow its current alignment to New Castle, passing through that city on 6th Street before continuing along its current alignment to Wilmington. At this point, the entire route was paved.^[9] The current Reedy Point Bridge carrying DE 9 over the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal was completed in 1968.^[10] By 1971, DE 9 was extended north to its current terminus at DE 2.^[11] DE 9 was realigned to bypass New Castle by 1984 by following Washington Street and DE 273.^[12] The intersection at the southern terminus with DE 1 was rebuilt into an interchange in 2009.^[13]

Major intersections

County	Location	Milepost[1]	Intersecting road	Notes
Kent	Dover Air Force Base	0.00	DE 1 (Bay Road)	Interchange, southern terminus
	Little Creek		DE 8 west (North Little Creek Road)
	Leipsic	11.46	DE 42 west (Front Street)
		16.49	DE 6 (Woodland Beach Road)
New Castle	Mathews Corner	30.18	DE 299 west (Taylor Bridge Road)
	Reedy Point Bridge over Chesapeake and Delaware Canal
	Delaware City	43.00	DE 72 north (Wrangle Hill Road)
		45.46	DE 9 Truck north (Hamburg Road)
	New Castle	50.14	DE 141 north (Basin Road) / DE 273 west / DE 9 Truck south (Frenchtown Road)
	Wilmington Manor	53.31	I-295 / US 40 to I-95 / I-495 – Delaware Memorial Bridge, New Jersey-New York, Baltimore	Interchange
	Wilmington	55.87	US 13 south (Heald Street) – Dover, Baltimore	South end of US 13 overlap
		56.07	DE 9A south (Christiana Avenue)
		56.37	US 13 north (Church Street)	North end of US 13 northbound overlap
		56.45	US 13 (Spruce Street)	North end of US 13 southbound overlap
		56.73	US 13 Bus. north (Walnut Street)
		56.84	US 13 Bus. south (King Street)
			I-95 / US 202	Interchange
		58.21	DE 2 (Union Street)	Northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Bannered and suffixed routes

DE 9A

Delaware Route 9A
Location:	Wilmington
Length:	0.78 mi[1] (1.26 km)

Delaware Route 9A is a 4/5 mi. (1.25 km.) two to four lane road that serves as the primary access route to the Port of Wilmington as well as provide access to I-495, the main Interstate highway in Delaware to Philadelphia and Baltimore.

The road begins as a four-lane highway called Terminal Avenue at Delaware Route 9 just past the I-495 underpass north of the I-295/US 40 interchange at the Delaware Memorial Bridge, crossing underneath of I-495 less than ¼ mi. east of the road's terminus. Past I-495, the road, still four lanes, then crosses over Norfolk Southern's (former Penn Central and Conrail) Delmarva Branch at a grade crossing before making a sharp left turn at the entrance to the Port of Wilmington. At this point, DelDOT officially marks the end of the route, but signage shows it turning north onto Christiana Avenue.^[1][14]

The road then proceeds due north, crossing under I-495 again (this time underneath of the I-495 bridge over the Christina River, as well as crossing over both of NS Delmarva and Shellpot Branches (both grade crossings) before terminating at both US 13 and DE 9 near the Christina River drawbridge leading into Wilmington's Central Business District.^[1][14]

What is now DE 9A was originally a county road by 1920.^[4] By 1924, the Christiana Avenue portion of the route was constructed as a state highway.^[5] Christiana Avenue became a portion of US 40 in 1926, which used the road from US 13 to a ferry that went across the Delaware River to Penns Grove, New Jersey.^[15][16] By 1931, US 40 was removed from this road.^[17] The road became the easternmost portion of DE 48 by 1936, which crossed the Delaware River on the ferry to connect to New Jersey Route 48 in Penns Grove.^[7] DE 48 was removed from this road by 1949 when the ferry between Wilmington and Penns Grove was discontinued.^[18] DE 9A was designated by 1971 onto its current alignment.^[11]

DE 9 Truck

Delaware Route 9 Truck
Location:	Tybouts Corner-New Castle

Delaware Route 9 Truck is a truck bypass of a stretch of DE 9 south of New Castle. It heads west from DE 9 on Hamburg Road to Tybouts Corner, where it turns north on U.S. Route 13. It heads north along with US 13, with U.S. Route 40 joining in State Road, to Hares Corner, where it turns east onto Delaware Route 273. It follows DE 273 toward New Castle where it returns to DE 9 at the intersection between that route, DE 273 and Delaware Route 141.^[1][19]

See also

• U.S. Roads portal
• Delaware portal

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l} http://www.deldot.gov/information/pubs_forms/manuals/traffic_counts/2006/pdf/rpt_pgs1_38_rev.pdf DelDOT 2006 Traffic Count and Mileage Report
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Google, Inc. Google Maps – overview of Delaware Route 9 (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Delaware+9+%26+Kitts+Hummock+Rd,+Dover,+Kent,+Delaware+19901&daddr=39.22755,-75.51196+to:39.35492,-75.55+to:39.50066,-75.58755+to:39.6640757,-75.576843+to:39.67833,-75.55978+to:39.72879,-75.54311+to:DE+2+and+DE+9&geocode=FaW7VAIdrqyA-ykpSgxty2PHiTGqASUa4k2UpQ%3BFZ6QVgIdaMd_-ym_d_eVRGXHiTH6C0c8qWpwFg%3BFSiCWAId0DJ_-ykbUHueZ3LHiTH71Km5EVpGAQ%3BFXS7WgIdIqB--yn90-MHnA7HiTGAFpV9QxA60Q%3BFcs5XQId9cl--ylzFMvWnQPHiTHtXpXn7c2Y1Q%3BFXpxXQIdnAx_-ymPZCh5EAPHiTHb3xcVLhQIXg%3BFZY2XgIduk1_-ylJBunjWP3GiTGru6JzhpYD0Q%3BFYOGXgIdEtl--ylx0zJGdf3GiTEPP2apj5-j4g&hl=en&mra=ls&via=1,2,3,4,5,6&sll=39.652888,-75.557785&sspn=0.060268,0.169086&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=9. Retrieved February 8, 2011. 
3. ^ "Route 9 Coastal Heritage Scenic Byway". Delaware Department of Transportation. http://www.deldot.gov/information/community_programs_and_services/scenic_historic_hwy/route_9.shtml. Retrieved 2010-07-07. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Delaware Department of Transportation (PDF). Delaware Official Highway Map (Map) (1920 ed.). http://www.deldot.gov/archaeology/historic_pres/historic_highway_maps/pdf/cd_002.pdf. Retrieved April 15, 2010. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Delaware Department of Transportation (PDF). Delaware Official Highway Map (Map) (1924 ed.). http://www.deldot.gov/archaeology/historic_pres/historic_highway_maps/pdf/cd_003.pdf. Retrieved August 1, 2010. 
6. ^ Delaware Department of Transportation (PDF). Delaware Official Highway Map (Map) (1932 ed.). http://www.deldot.gov/archaeology/historic_pres/historic_highway_maps/pdf/cd_006.pdf. Retrieved February 6, 2011. 
7. ^ ^{a b} Delaware Department of Transportation (PDF). Delaware Official Highway Map (Map) (1936/37 ed.). http://www.deldot.gov/archaeology/historic_pres/historic_highway_maps/pdf/cd_008.pdf. Retrieved April 15, 2010. 
8. ^ Delaware Department of Transportation (PDF). Delaware Official Highway Map (Map) (1942 ed.). http://www.deldot.gov/archaeology/historic_pres/historic_highway_maps/pdf/cd_014.pdf. Retrieved February 6, 2011. 
9. ^ Delaware Department of Transportation (PDF). Delaware Official Highway Map (Map) (1959/60 ed.). http://www.deldot.gov/archaeology/historic_pres/historic_highway_maps/pdf/cd_032.pdf. Retrieved April 15, 2010. 
10. ^ "U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to intermittently close the Chesapeake City Bridge during testing" (PDF). United States Army Corps of Engineers. September 22, 2005. http://www.nap.usace.army.mil/cenap-pa/U%20S%20%20Army%20Corps%20of%20Engineers%20to%20intermittently%20close%20the%20Chesapeake%20City%20Bridge%20during%20testing%20Sept%202005.pdf. Retrieved February 6, 2011. 
11. ^ ^{a b} Delaware Department of Transportation (PDF). Delaware Official Highway Map (Map) (1971 ed.). http://www.deldot.gov/archaeology/historic_pres/historic_highway_maps/pdf/cd_050.pdf. Retrieved April 15, 2010. 
12. ^ Delaware Department of Transportation (PDF). Delaware Official Highway Map (Map) (1984 ed.). http://www.deldot.gov/archaeology/historic_pres/historic_highway_maps/pdf/cd_062.pdf. Retrieved February 5, 2011. 
13. ^ "TRAFFIC ALERT - Route 1 & Route 9 Overpass Project Will Require Closure of Route 9 & Kitts Hummock Road". Delaware Department of Transportation. September 14, 2009. http://www.deldot.gov/public.ejs?command=PublicNewsDisplay&id=3478. Retrieved February 8, 2011. 
14. ^ ^{a b} Google, Inc. Google Maps – overview of Delaware Route 9A (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=new+castle+avenue+and+terminal+avenue&daddr=39.7223339,-75.5350153+to:south+heald+street+and+christiana+avenue&geocode=FfcaXgIdbUZ_-ynFioCtpgLHiTG0xrcbCHKAcw%3BFV0dXgIdWW1_-ymvijhQqQLHiTF7zUuoJ_wc0w%3BFRZJXgIdKlZ_-ynxnqX0Wv3GiTGvaNPZv1bKwQ&hl=en&mra=ls&via=1&sll=39.72465,-75.532808&sspn=0.015051,0.042272&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=14. Retrieved February 8, 2011. 
15. ^ Bureau of Public Roads (1926). United States System of Highways (Map). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:1926us.jpg. Retrieved April 27, 2009. 
16. ^ Tydol Trails (1927). Map of New Jersey (Map). http://www.jimmyandsharonwilliams.com/njroads/1920s/maps/1927tt2.jpg. Retrieved February 9, 2011. 
17. ^ Delaware Department of Transportation (PDF). Delaware Official Highway Map (Map) (1931 ed.). http://www.deldot.gov/archaeology/historic_pres/historic_highway_maps/pdf/cd_005.pdf. Retrieved August 19, 2010. 
18. ^ Delaware Department of Transportation (PDF). Delaware Official Highway Map (Map) (1949 ed.). http://www.deldot.gov/archaeology/historic_pres/historic_highway_maps/pdf/cd_022.pdf. Retrieved February 8, 2011. 
19. ^ Google, Inc. Google Maps – overview of Delaware Route 9 Truck (Map). Cartography by Google, Inc. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=DE+9+and+hamburg+road&daddr=39.648285,-75.62178+to:DE+141+and+DE+273&geocode=FQF9XAIdy_R9-yl_zKJZfQbHiTF0Xvfvy9nqOA%3BFR38XAIdbBp--ylF60PEqQbHiTF0FmjuF5tltw%3BFTg6XQIdQsJ--ykppO8ZnAPHiTG7PdEnTCC0_w&hl=en&mra=ls&sll=39.667358,-75.55933&sspn=0.030128,0.084543&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=13&via=1. Retrieved February 8, 2011.