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Franklin County Engineer

As a local public works agency headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, the Franklin County Engineer's Office is responsible for the maintenance and construction of 271 miles of county roadway and 351 county bridges, as well as upkeep of all county ditches, drains, retention basins, and other storm water facilities within the right-of-way of county roads in unincorporated areas. To meet the continuing development and infrastructure needs of Franklin County, the Engineer's Office utilizes the latest technologies for determining and maintaining roadway centerlines and boundaries; retracing and setting new monuments for original public land surveys; preparing geographic information system mapping for real estate tax assessments; and establishing precise countywide horizontal and vertical control to maintain uniformity in construction, surveying, and mapping.
Franklin County Engineer
Franklin County Engineer
Rain may have been in the forecast, but it did not stop the successful 2nd Annual Spring Training Days at FCEO. Thank you to our outstanding presenters from FCEO, fellow government agencies, and community partners who shared their time, knowledge, and expertise with our team. Investing in learning, collaboration, and professional growth helps keep us strong as an organization and better prepared to serve the public.
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Franklin County Engineer
Franklin County Engineer
Notice to Contractors: We are accepting bids on the Franklin County Engineer’s Office 2026 General Bridge Maintenance Contract. Visit: https://www.bidexpress.com/solicitations for more information.
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Franklin County Engineer
Franklin County Engineer
Rohr Road, between Bixby Road and Creekside Parkway, will be closed beginning Monday, May 4, 2026, for road widening work. The closure will last approximately sixty (60) days, weather permitting.
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Franklin County Engineer
Franklin County Engineer
April is National Records and Information Management Month, a time to recognize the work that helps public agencies stay organized, transparent, and efficient. At the Franklin County Engineer’s Office, accurate records and reliable information support infrastructure planning, project coordination, maps, permits, and public service. Thank you to those who help keep our agency informed, accountable, and operating effectively. #RIMMonth
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Franklin County Engineer
Franklin County Engineer
Great energy, nice weather, and great community spirit! #TeamFCEO was proud to join Celebrate Trails Day at Scioto Audubon Metro Park. The annual event featured live music, local vendors, food trucks, activities, and fun for all ages while celebrating the value of trails in our community. #CelebrateTrails
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Franklin County Engineer
Franklin County Engineer
Yesterday, #TeamFCEO welcomed the next generation to our office for Bring Your Child to Work Day! From big equipment to hands-on activities and behind-the-scenes fun, it was a day full of learning, laughter, and smiles. Thank you to everyone who helped make it a great day!
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Franklin County Engineer's Office
970 DUBLIN ROAD
COLUMBUS, OHIO 43215
(614) 525-3030
fracoeng@franklincountyengineer.org
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Surveyor’s Journal Entry Twenty

Surveyor’s Journal Entry Twenty

Meeting the Transportation Needs of a Changing Landscape

By 1850, Columbus had become a major commercial and government center noted for its financial and legal institutions, the state penitentiary, restaurants, hotels, shops, buggy and carriage works, breweries, foundries, textiles, rock quarries, agriculture, and livestock.

The Franklin County Property and Highway Map, first published in 1842, showed a vast sea of farms, villages, and township communities encircling Columbus, all joined together by an evolving street and roadway system.

It was during this growth that the Franklin County Surveyor’s Office, which had established many of the original roads, adopted the responsibility of highway engineering. It would be the duty of the “county engineer” to represent the board of county commissioners and the State of Ohio in the planning of the area’s first local highways, which included:

Columbus & Portsmouth Turnpike (U.S. Rt. 23, South High Street, Portsmouth-Columbus Road) opened in 1847
Columbus & Harrisburg Turnpike (U.S. Rt. 62, S.R. 3, Harrisburg Pike) opened in 1849
Columbus & Worthington Plank Road (North High Street, U.S. Rt. 23) replacing the Franklin County section of the Columbus &
Sandusky Turnpike opened in 1850
Columbus & Groveport Turnpike ( Groveport Road) opened in 1850
Johnstown Plank Road (Johnstown Road, U.S. Rt. 62) opened in 1852
Columbus & Granville Turnpike (East Broad Street, S.R. 16) opened in 1852
Franklin & Jackson Turnpike (Harmon Avenue, Jackson Pike, S.R. 104) opened in 1852
Columbus & Sunbury Plank Road (Sunbury Road) opened in 1852
Clinton & Blendon Plank Road (Westerville Road , S.R. 3) opened in 1854

These early thoroughfares were operated by incorporated highway companies that financed construction and maintenance costs through stock sales, toll collections, and government appropriations. Transportation financing began as early as 1802 when Ohio started to receive three percent of the net proceeds from the sale of federal land in the state to build roads.

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