History
What would become DE 9 originally existed as a county road by 1920. 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. 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. 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. By 1942, what is now DE 9 between the Taylors Bridge area and Port Penn was paved. DE 9 was extended north to US 13 Alt. (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. The current Reedy Point Bridge carrying DE 9 over the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal was completed in 1968. By 1971, DE 9 was extended north to its current terminus at DE 2. DE 9 was realigned to bypass New Castle by 1984 by following Washington Street and DE 273. The intersection at the southern terminus with DE 1 was rebuilt into an interchange in 2009.
Read more about this topic: Delaware Route 9
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)