The Portsmouth Bypass is a proposed four-lane limited-access divided highway rerouting through traffic around the cities of Portsmouth and New Boston in Scioto County, Ohio, United States.[1] In addition to providing better mobility within the local area for residents, the bypass has the potential to increase the economic development of the local area. Final design plans are currently undergoing development; construction is scheduled to begin in 2011 after property acquisition is completed which began in 2006.[2]
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The proposal for a bypass began in the 1960s as the city of Portsmouth was growing at a rapid rate creating backups on numerous city streets along with the width of trucks trying to turn from U.S. 23 to U.S. 52 and the other way around. It wasn't until the 1990s when the lines were drawn for proposing a bypass. After three proposed routes, the hill alignment was chosen after ODOT conducted numerous studies concerning impact to the environment and local area.[3]
The 16-mile (26 km) long freeway will bypass the cities of Portsmouth and New Boston by connecting U.S. Route 23 north of Lucasville to U.S. Route 52 east of New Boston and west of Wheelersburg. The Portsmouth Bypass, when completed, will go through the communities of Minford, Lucasville, Sciotoville, and Sciotodale with five interchanges constructed in total (including endpoints). The locations of the interchanges are: U.S. Route 52 between New Boston and Wheelersburg, State Route 140 near the Portsmouth city limit, Airport Road adjacent to the Greater Portsmouth Regional Airport/Access to Ohio 335 just south of Minford, at Lucasville-Minford Road/ Future Ohio 728? County Route 28 near Rases Mountain Drive in Minford, and at U.S. 23 just north of Lucasville. The route will be signed as Ohio State Route 823 once completed.[1][4]
The bypass will be constructed in three phases, pending funding. Phase 1 will connect Lucasville-Minford Road near Rases Mountain Drive to Airport Road (a newly relocated Shumway Hollow Road) adjacent to the Greater Portsmouth Regional Airport on State Route 335—this phase is scheduled to take approximately three years to complete. Phase 2 will continue the freeway from the Lucasville-Minford Road interchange to U.S. 23 just north of Lucasville. Phase 3 will continue the freeway from the Shumway Hollow Road/Airport Road interchange in Minford to U.S. 52 near Wheelersburg. The freeway will be open for traffic on completed sections as each phase is completed.[3]