PORTSMOUTH - Once just a dream of many across southern Ohio, the Portsmouth Bypass project has inched ever closer to becoming reality.

The draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Portsmouth Bypass has been released by the Ohio Department of Transportation and is now available for public inspection, according to ODOT District 9 Deputy Director Harry Fry.

The Portsmouth Bypass project calls for the construction of a four-lane, limited-access highway from Wheelersburg to Lucasville, providing access by interchanges at U.S. Route 52, Shumway Hollow near the airport on state Route 335, Lucasville-Minford Road and U.S. Route 23.

"This marks a significant step in the process toward gaining the Federal Highway Administration's final approval of the project and concluding a vital part of the NEPA process in which we document the impact of the proposed bypass on the area's cultural and environmental resources," said Fry.

The draft EIS is now available for public viewing at various local agencies in Scioto County.

The document, which includes information on the cultural resources of the area, may be reviewed during regular business hours at the Scioto County Commissioners' Office, the Scioto County Engineer's Office, the Portsmouth Public Library, Wheelersburg Branch Library, South Webster Library, the W. Gordon Ryan Library in Lucasville and the Vern Riffe Library in New Boston.

Anyone who wants to submit a written statement concerning the environmental document or other items of the proposal must do so by March 14, 2005.

Comments should be addressed to: S.R. 823 Project Study Team, TranSystems Corporation, 5747 Perimeter Drive, Suite 240, Dublin, Ohio 43017