 Delaware Route 9A ( DE 9A ) is a two- to four @-@ lane road in Wilmington , Delaware that serves as the primary access route to the Port of Wilmington as well as provide access to Interstate 495 ( I @-@ 495 ) . The official designation of the route runs 0 @.@ 78 miles ( 1 @.@ 26 km ) along Terminal Avenue between DE 9 and the Port of Wilmington , interchanging with I @-@ 495 . Signage has the route continuing north along Christiana Avenue to an intersection with U.S. Route 13 ( US 13 ) and DE 9 for a total length of 2 @.@ 0 mi ( 3 @.@ 2 km ) . Christiana Avenue originally became a state highway in the 1920s , becoming a part of US 40 that connected to a ferry across the Delaware River to Penns Grove , New Jersey . US 40 was removed from this road in the 1930s and it later became part of DE 48 , which was subsequently removed in the 1950s following the discontinuance of the ferry . DE 9A was designated by 1971 . 
