Ohio State Route 823 is a new expressway bypass constructed around the northeast side of Portsmouth, connecting US Route 23 to US Route 52. Travelers coming from the north on US Route 23 will use this highway if they aim to continue southeast along US Route 52 up the Ohio River, or if they wish to do the reverse. It's curious that Ohio Route 823 was built as a limited-access highway with interchanges, and I will be curious to see how traffic volumes manifest on this relatively new highway. Ohio Route 823 starts at US Route 23 at a trumpet interchange in Lucasville. The highway stays about eight to ten miles outside of Portsmouth's town center, heading east and then south to comprise nearly seventeen miles. The southern end merges with US Route 52 near Sciotodale, or about a mile or two north of Wheelersburg. That southern end is just a merge, though; those using the western leg of US Route 52 can reach Ohio Route 823 by way of Ohio Route 140.
My photo for Ohio Route 823 is an eastbound junction marker along Ohio Route 140, just barely east of US Route 52. This is the first interchange on Ohio Route 823 north of its southern terminus. This photo was taken during a relatively early stage of the great southeastern Ohio trip of March 2021.