It's Official!
S.R. 823 In Scioto County Is Open To Traffic

Three years, five months and 20 days after the start of construction, the new state Route 823 in Scioto County is open to traffic!

Portsmouth Gateway Group crews worked through the night to uncover signs and remove the remaining traffic controls to open the route at 8 a.m. today, December 14 - the developer's scheduled opening day.

Renamed the Southern Ohio Veterans Memorial Highway by the Ohio Legislature, the new route is a 16-mile, four-lane limited access highway from U.S. 23 north of Lucasville to U.S. 52 near Sciotoville, and it completes Ohio’s missing link in the Appalachian Development Highway System.

On Thursday, December 13, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the Sunshine Church of Christ to a standing-room only crowd of more than 300 people, with perhaps the largest motorcade in ODOT's history for such a ceremony following the program.

ODOT awarded a contract in 2014 to the Portsmouth Gateway Group for development of the project, and under a performance-based contract, the design-build-finance-operate-maintain (DBFOM) project delivery is the first public-partnership (P3) of its kind endeavored by ODOT.

With the exception of snow and ice control services which will be retained by ODOT, PGG will be responsible for the route’s operation and maintenance for the next 35 years.

For more information contact: 
Kathleen Fuller, public information officer
Ohio Department of Transportation - District 9
740-774-8834 (o); 740-637-9037 (m)

Know Before You Go! For more detailed traffic information, and to get personalized traffic alerts for your commute, download the OHGO app or visit OHGO.com.

The environmental review, consultation and other actions required by applicable Federal environmental laws for these projects are being, or have been, carried out by ODOT pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated December 11, 2015, and executed by FHWA and ODOT.