Southern Ohio: SR 823 / Portsmouth Bypass

[vtk]

Finally got around to uploading those photos:

[jbnati27]

Nice pics, thanks for sharing.

This will be nice for me when I travel Southeast from Cincy. I have been one of those who has been using Rosemount Rd from U23 to OH139 to bypass Portsmouth to get to US52. I pretty much have 3 choices in traveling to Charleston WV and beyond: OH32/US23/Rosemount Rd/OH139/US52/I-64, OH32/US35/I-64, OH32/US68/AA Highway/I-64. I despise the two portion of US35 in WV. The AA is nice, but it's generally a very good 2 lane road.

[Buck87]

Video rendering recently posted by ODOT:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E05btrM-Ic

[vtk]

Video rendering recently posted by ODOT:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E05btrM-Ic

Wow, it almost looks like they didn't even try to follow the existing topography.

Also, apparently OH 823 will be signed east—west? Then again, the video seemed to refer to US 52 as north—south, so maybe take that with a grain of salt...

[GCrites]

Am I the only one who wonders why Ohio never goes full bench on any cut? Even the tiniest cut has to be extra wide and angled. Crossing over to Kentucky is shocking since you see full bench all the time even today.

Also, remember when projected road videos showed way less traffic than the road would actually carry? Like one or two cars? This one is overly optimistic volume-wise in parts.

[vtk]

Am I the only one who wonders why Ohio never goes full bench on any cut? Even the tiniest cut has to be extra wide and angled. Crossing over to Kentucky is shocking since you see full bench all the time even today.

I'm not familiar with that term. Is that something like, fully vertical cliffs, interrupted by short horizontal runs to limit the distance a rock or animal might fall?

[GCrites]

Basically. I've noticed that the term is more popular with the U.S. Forest Service than in highway engineering, though it is used more for sideslopes.

[The Ghostbuster]

Will the Portsmouth Bypass eventually be a relocation of US 23?

[triplemultiplex]

Am I the only one who wonders why Ohio never goes full bench on any cut? Even the tiniest cut has to be extra wide and angled. Crossing over to Kentucky is shocking since you see full bench all the time even today.

Geology could play a role in the different construction styles.

In Wisconsin, large rock cuts for US 151 in the southwest part of the state are benched.
The US 53 freeway in Eau Claire has large rock cuts that are not.

The benched cuts are mostly limestone.  The ones for US 53 blast through mostly sandstone.  (I say 'mostly' because both are interbedded with thin shale layers.)

I'm not too familiar with the bedrock geology of southern Ohio vs. northern Kentucky other then a general understanding of it being later Paleozoic sedimentary rocks.  But that's the first thing I would investigate.

[GCrites]

I notice it state-wide in both states, but I've never been west of Bowling Green in Kentucky. Kentucky's Bluegrass geology region actually extends into Ohio in Adams, Brown and Highland Counties. Whereas east of Portsmouth you are in a different geologic region with the southern tip of Ohio, NE Kentucky and western West Virginia sharing the same.

[vtk]

Will the Portsmouth Bypass eventually be a relocation of US 23?

Probably not. Such a move would require both Ohio and Kentucky to want to do it, and I don't see either wanting to. Ohio has several prior examples of not relocating a major route to a better new road. Kentucky probably wouldn't want to give up the US 23 mileage between Portsmouth and wherever the new US 23 would cross the river.

[hbelkins]

Will the Portsmouth Bypass eventually be a relocation of US 23?

Probably not. Such a move would require both Ohio and Kentucky to want to do it, and I don't see either wanting to. Ohio has several prior examples of not relocating a major route to a better new road. Kentucky probably wouldn't want to give up the US 23 mileage between Portsmouth and wherever the new US 23 would cross the river.

That road is actually ADHS Corridor B-1, which leaves US 23 at the Greenup Dam (KY 10/OH mumble) to join US 52.

[vtk]

Will the Portsmouth Bypass eventually be a relocation of US 23?

Probably not. Such a move would require both Ohio and Kentucky to want to do it, and I don't see either wanting to. Ohio has several prior examples of not relocating a major route to a better new road. Kentucky probably wouldn't want to give up the US 23 mileage between Portsmouth and wherever the new US 23 would cross the river.

That road is actually ADHS Corridor B-1, which leaves US 23 at the Greenup Dam (KY 10/OH mumble) to join US 52.

I thought the bypass was mainline B, while B-1 is a spur on US 23 into Portsmouth, but as these designations aren't signed or marked on maps, I have trouble retaining them in my mind...

[GCrites]

[hbelkins]

Judging from that map, B-1 would be US 23, KY 8 and Spur KY 8 (Carl D. Perkins Bridge).

So what's C-1? US 35 between OH 32 and Chillicothe?

[GCrites]

I think so. That map was from 2005, so I don't know if 35 was 4-laned yet. I took some pictures of an abandoned primitive rest area that had just closed due to construction work in 2002-2003 near Richmond Dale but I don't remember when the project was finished. I think it was done in 2005 when we went to Martinsville for NASCAR.

[vtk]

I think so. That map was from 2005, so I don't know if 35 was 4-laned yet. I took some pictures of an abandoned primitive rest area that had just closed due to construction work in 2002-2003 near Richmond Dale but I don't remember when the project was finished. I think it was done in 2005 when we went to Martinsville for NASCAR.

According to USDA Farm Service Agency imagery via Google Earth, the US 50 to Richmond Dale section was still under construction in summer 2004, open to traffic by late June 2005.

[GCrites]

Makes sense, the race was in October.

[Buck87]

I was in Scioto County visiting family this past weekend and had a chance to drive by some of the construction areas. Here are some pics I took Sunday morning:

The site of the future half interchange with OH 140. Taken from the park and ride lot, looking north.


The next 2 are looking south across Lucasville-Minford Rd at the future interchange site there

[seicer]

I noticed a lot of earthwork when I was by there a few days ago. The US 52/bypass tie-in is coming along nicely, too.  Did the old school on OH 140 get torn down?

[hbelkins]

If I could afford gas for a few scouting trips, I'd put together a meet to view that project. But as it stands, I probably couldn't even afford to attend a meet there even if someone else hosted it, which is sad since I'm only around 2 hours and change from Portsmouth.

[Buck87]

2 main points of interest from this local article, the project is currently 15% completed, and the projected completion date is December of 2018:

http://communitycommon.com/news/1092/bypass-is-15-percent-constructed

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Also, looking closer at that 3D animation video posted above, I just noticed that the first little section of the bypass between 52 and 140 is only 2 lanes. It's almost like the 140 and 52 partial interchanges are together one big interchange with 2 regular length ramps to 140 and 2 really long ones that go through a cut to 52.

So the southbound right lane of the bypass will become an exit only lane to 140. I suppose it will be signed something like "140, To 52 west, Portsmouth, South Webster"

[vtk]

More likely Portsmouth and New Boston.

[Buck87]

More likely Portsmouth and New Boston.

South Webster is the control city for 140 off 52, not sure why they wouldn't include it for the bypass' exit with 140. It would be there to tell you where a left turn from the ramp onto 140 would lead. The "to 52, Portsmouth" would be there for the right turn.

I don't think I've even seen New Boston referenced on any BGS or even on mileage signs. The fact that Portsmouth completely surrounds it might have something to do with it being completely ignored.

[vtk]

New Boston is a placename well-known by locals and referred to by area radio ads. it should probably at least be on some auxilliary guide signs.