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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
The 2025 Franklin County Fair is off to a fantastic start, and we’re so glad to be part of the fun! Day one brought plenty of smiles, painted plows, and community spirit as we celebrated Franklin County Engineer Adam W. Fowler Day. And the fun doesn’t stop there. Be sure to stop by tomorrow for Family Fun Day! We’ll have hands-on activities and more ways to connect with #TeamFCEO. Bring the whole family. We hope to see you there!
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Franklin County Engineer
Franklin County Engineer
Eiterman Road over South Fork Indian Run, between Post Road and Bobcat Way, is closed to replace and widen the existing bridge to accommodate the future build-out of the Dublin throughfare plan. The closure will last approximately ninety (90) days, weather permitting.
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Franklin County Engineer
Franklin County Engineer
Winchester Pike over Coble & Bowman Ditch, between Shannon Road and Bachman Road, is closed to widen the roadway and replace the existing culvert. The closure will last approximately sixty (60) days, weather permitting.
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Franklin County Engineer
Franklin County Engineer
The 2025 Franklin County Fair kicks off today, and we’re thrilled to be part of the fun! Join us in celebrating Franklin County Engineer Adam W. Fowler Day! Stop by the #TeamFCEO tent to say hello, help paint the plow, enjoy some fun activities, and grab a few giveaway items while you’re there. We can’t wait to see you at the fairgrounds. Let’s make it a great start to fair week!
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Franklin County Engineer
Franklin County Engineer
This morning, Engineer Fowler and #TeamFCEO hosted our Intern and Summer Help Networking Event where participants had the opportunity to connect with one another and hear from FCEO staff as they shared their diverse career paths, including a wide range of disciplines and professional experiences prior to joining FCEO. It was a valuable morning of learning, conversation, and inspiration. We’re proud to invest in the next generation entering the workforce as they explore meaningful and rewarding career paths.
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Franklin County Engineer
Franklin County Engineer
The Franklin County Fair kicks off Monday, July 14, 2025. Join us on opening day for County Engineer Adam W. Fowler Day! Bring your family and friends to celebrate, help us paint a snowplow, and enjoy hands-on fun for all ages. We can’t wait to see you there!
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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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