By Jayna Smith

After decades of planning and years of construction, a new six-mile stretch of highway connecting I-395 to Route 9 officially opened to traffic Friday, June 27, 2025, marking the completion of one of Maine’s most significant recent transportation infrastructure projects.

The $107 million project — formally known as the I-395/Route 9 Connector — extends east from Brewer to Eddington, creating a more direct route for travelers and commercial vehicles between the Bangor-Brewer area and eastern Maine, including access to Atlantic Canada.