October 2003, June 2005
Download these layers:
 - Highway Exits
 - Routemarker locations

Overview

These statewide layers are useful in conjunction with mapping the MassDOT Roads layers.
Sample of Highway Exits and Routemarker Locations
Click to see the full size image.
  • The layer EXITS_PT represents major highway exit locations. Attributes include the exit number and the highway route number associated with each exit.
  • RTEMARKERS_PT is a point layer that may be used for plotting numbered highway route markers in fixed locations.

Production

Both layers were created by the Massachusetts Highway Department and sent to MassGIS as coverages. MassGIS converted the data to ArcSDE and shapefile format. MassGIS added the ADMIN_TYPE field to the route markers layer in order to create definition queries when labelling the points.

Attributes

The EXITS_PT point attribute table contains the following items:
INTMARK_ID 4-5-B Exit number
ROUTE 4-4-C Route Number associated with exit location
The RTEMARKERS_PT point attribute table contains the following items:
RT_NUMBER 4-4-C Primary Route Number
ALT_RT_NUMBER 4-4-C Alternate Route Number
RT_ID 4-4-I Markerset symbol number for RT-NUMBER, used for plotting in ArcPlot
ART_ID 4-4-I Markerset symbol number for ALT-RT-NUMBER, used for plotting in ArcPlot
MARKER 3-3-I Code for suggested scale dependency when plotting markers:
 1 = For mapscales up to 100,000
 3 = For mapscales between 100,000 and 400,000
 5 = For mapscales greater than 400,000
FUNC_CLASS 1-1-I Functional class for road of RT_NUMBER:
 0 = Not a numbered route
 1 = Interstate
 2 = Rural principal arterial and urban extension
 3 = Rural minor arterial and urban extension
 4 = Other urban principal arterial
 5 = Urban minor connector or rural major collector
 6 = Urban collector or rural minor collector
ADMIN_TYPE 1-1-I Administrative type for road in RT_NUMBER field:
 1 = Interstate
 2 = U.S. Highway
 3 = State Route

Displaying the Data

MassGIS has created an ArcMap layer file that plots the points and labels them using the RT_NUMBER field. The layer file is included in the .exe file with the shapefile, downloadable from the link above, and also is included on MassGIS Data Viewer CDs.

Jim Mossman of Data Deja View has created a set of ArcGIS Desktop.style files and ArcInfo Workstation markersets. Follow the directions in the download to install.

To plot the route markers points in ArcView 3.x with appropriate route shield markers, do the following:

  1. download a set of route shields created for Massachusetts by Jim Mossman from the ESRI ArcScripts page.
  2. Follow the instructions included in the .zip file for installation of the fonts onto a Windows PC.
  3. Add the Route Location theme in ArcView and load the mhdrtid.avl legend, symbolizing on the RT_ID item.
  4. You may want to adjust the size of the markers or select a subset based on the MARKER field to avoid too many shields plotting, depending on your map scale.

Please note that the locations of these points have been chosen to optimize display and do not represent actual roadside locations of route signs.

To achieve the look of the route markers as on actual highway signs (i.e. red, white and blue Interstate; U.S. shields; boxes for State routes) when plotting these using Arcplot, use the markerset solidshld.mrk; a special font - fnt029 - must be located either locally or in the $archome/igl63exe directory. Issue the pointmarkers command and use the RT_ID (route number) or ART_ID (alternate route number) field, which matches the appropriate symbol in the solidshld.mrk markerset. Download these files: fnt029 | solidshld.mrk

Maintenance

MassGIS maintains these layers. The route markers layer was renamed from MHDRDPTS_PT in June, 2005, at which time the ADMIN_TYPE was added to the layer's attribute table.

Last Updated 1/25/2013