Realign routes

Available with Location Referencing license.

During the life span of a roadway, route geometry and length can change. Route sections are updated while others are added. Major changes, such as environmental concerns or repair work, can require an update in the shape of the route's geometry and length.

ArcGIS Roads and Highways uses centerlines to do realignment. The Realign Route tool can be used to realign a single route or to realign several adjoining routes that are part of the same line.

Centerline features used to realign routes can be existing features in the centerline feature class, be digitized into the centerline feature class (using aerial photography or other basemaps for guidance), be copied and pasted from other feature classes, or be imported from CAD files or other ArcGIS-supported data sources.

This table explains the parameters used in the Realign Route tool.

Variable	Continuous Measure network
Network	The network in which the continuous routes exist.
Effective Date	The date when the realignment has taken place on the ground.
Source Route: Route ID	The route where the realignment takes place.
Source Route: From measure	The measure on the source route where the realignment starts; shown by the green dot.
Source Route: To measure	The measure on the source route where the realignment ends; shown by the red dot.
Realigned Route: From measure	The starting measure on the realigned portion.
Realigned Route: To measure	The ending measure on the realigned portion.

Route realignment scenario

In the following example, the route (RouteXYZ) has a start measure of 0 and an end measure of 30 before realignment. The realign section has measures from 10 to 20.

Route ID	RouteXYZ
From Measure	10
To Measure	20
Recalibrate downstream	Yes

After realignment, the realigned section has measures from 10 to 35, while the entire route has measures from 0 to 45.

Route ID	RouteXYZ
From Measure	10
To Measure	35

Complex route realignment scenarios

The following sections provide examples of realignment in complex routes, including loop, lollipop, gapped, branch, and infinity routes:

Realign a loop route

The route is realigned from measure 0 to measure 4, which is from the beginning to the middle of the route. In the following example, a route (RouteX) has a start measure of 0 and an end measure of 12 before realignment:

With downstream recalibration, the realignment results in a RouteX start measure of 0 and end measure of 17. 5.

Realign a lollipop route

The route (RouteX) is realigned from measure 8 to measure 15. In the following example, the route has a start measure of 0 and an end measure of 15 before realignment:

As the realignment is from the middle to the end, downstream recalibration does not apply. RouteX is realigned with a start measure of 0 and an end measure of 17.

Realign a gapped route

In the following example, a gapped route (RouteX) has a start measure of 0 and an end measure of 4 before realignment. The route is realigned from measure 1 to measure 3, which is in the middle of the route.

With downstream recalibration, the realignment will result in a RouteX start measure of 0 and an end measure of 12.

Realign an infinity route

In the following example, a route (RouteX) has a start measure of 0 and an end measure of 24 before realignment. The route is realigned from measure 7 to measure 11, which is in the middle of the route.

With downstream recalibration, RouteX has a start measure of 0 and an end measure of 26.

Realign a branch route

In the following example, a route (RouteX) that has a start measure of 0 and an end measure of 9 before realignment is realigned in the middle:

With downstream recalibration, the realigned RouteX has a start measure 0 and an end measure of 12.

Use the following steps to realign routes:

Note:

Gap calibration rules are followed when editing routes.

1. Add the centerline and network feature class to a map.

   You can also open a map in which the centerline and network feature class is already present.

   Note:

   The information model expects only one centerline at any given location. Ensure that the centerlines you're using for your edit do not overlap other centerlines in your LRS.

   Note:

   Traditionally versioned networks must be edited through a direct connection to the geodatabase. Branch versioned networks, including any network configured with a user-generated route ID, must be edited through a feature service.

2. Zoom in to the location where you want to realign the route.

   Note:

   The centerline feature for realigning the route must exist in the centerline feature class before realigning the route.

3. On the Location Referencing tab, in the Routes group, click Realign .

   

   The Realign Route pane appears with the Select By Rectangle option as the default.

4. Use your mouse to select one or more centerlines by rectangle at the location of the new route.

   You can also click the Select one or more centerlines drop-down arrow to choose one of the remaining selection tools: Select By Polygon , Select By Lasso , Select By Circle , Select By Line , or Select By Trace .

   Alternatively, you can use the interactive selection tools on the Map tab on the ArcGIS Pro ribbon:

   The selected centerlines are highlighted on the map and the Allow choosing of one or more centerlines button appears in the Realign Route pane. The Selected Centerlines count is shown above the table.

   Note:

   • The direction of digitization of the centerline, depicted by the direction of the arrowhead on the selected centerline, also determines the direction of increasing measure calibration. You can reverse direction for the chosen centerlines using the Flip the direction of the centerlines button .
   • You can keep the centerlines chosen after realigning the route.
5. Click the Allow choosing of one or more centerlines button .

   A table appears in the Realign Route pane with each chosen centerline in a numbered row that corresponds to the selection order. Chosen centerlines are numbered on the map and highlighted. The Chosen Centerlines count is shown below the table.

   

6. Optionally, change the centerline selection order by choosing one or more rows from the Order column and using the buttons below the table. You can also drag rows into the desired order.

   Changes in the table selection order are also shown on the map.

   Tools available in the centerlines table

   Tool	Tool name	Tool description
   	Allow choosing one or more centerlines	Allows you to choose the centerlines on the map and displays them in a table by order of selection. Use the move buttons below the table or drag rows to reorder the chosen centerlines.
   	Clear the currently chosen centerlines	Clears the chosen centerlines and keeps the selected centerlines. You can reselect after clicking this button or click the Allow choosing one or more centerlines button a second time.
   	Move chosen centerlines up	Moves one or more selected centerlines up a row in the table order.
   	Move chosen centerlines to the top	Moves one or more centerlines to the top of the table order.
   	Move chosen centerlines down	Moves one or more centerlines down a row in the table order.
   	Move chosen centerlines to the bottom	Moves one or more centerlines to the bottom of the table order.
   	Flip the direction of the centerlines	Reverses the direction of the chosen centerlines.
   	Remove the chosen centerlines	Removes the chosen centerline from the table order but leaves it selected.

   Tip:

   To change the display field shown in the centerlines table, right-click the centerline feature class in the Contents pane and choose Properties from the context menu. On the Layer Properties dialog box, click the Display tab, and click the Display field drop-down arrow to change its value. In the previous image, the display field is OBJECTID.

7. In the Realign Route pane, choose the network in which you want to realign a route.

   Note:

   To edit using feature services, the LRS Network must be published with the linear referencing and version management capabilities.

8. Click the Effective Date drop-down arrow and choose a date for the edit.

   Tip:

   • Optionally, provide the date in the Effective Date text box.
   • Double-click the empty Effective Date text box to populate it with today's date.
9. If the centerline touches the routes, the From Route Name, From Measure, To Route Name, and To Measure parameters in the Source Route section are autopopulated.

   If the centerline doesn't touch the route, you can use the pickers to populate the From Route Name, To Route Name, From Measure, and To Measure parameters. Additionally, you can type the measure values.

10. The From Measure value in the Realigned Route section is automatically populated.

    The suggested from measure value is the measure at the location where the start of the centerline touches the source route.

    • Optionally, you can type a from measure value of your choice.
    • If you do not know the from measure, allow Roads and Highways to suggest it. Click the Recalculate From Measure button to do so. This value is calculated as the difference between the to measure value and the geometric length of the centerline.
11. The to measure value is automatically populated in the Realigned Route section.

    The suggested to measure value is the measure at the location where the end of the centerline touches the target route. It is calculated by the geometric length of the centerline minus the to measure.

    Note:

    • Z-values are considered when calculating the geometric length of the centerlines.
    • Centerlines and routes support z-values.
    • Optionally, you can type a to measure value of your choice.
    • If you do not know the to measure, allow Roads and Highways to suggest it. Click the Recalculate To Measure button to do so. This value is calculated as the sum of the from measure value and the geometric length of the centerline.
12. Click Run.

    Note:

    If your route edit will result in the introduction of one or more physical gaps on the route, a prompt appears to alert you before the tool is run. If you didn't plan to create a gapped route, answer No and edit your digitized centerlines so that no gaps result during route editing.

    You can prevent unplanned centerlines by enabling snapping in the active map, or by enabling snapping using the Edit tab, Snapping group, Snapping button .

    You can disable this warning by unchecking Warn before allowing route edits that can create physical gaps in Location Referencing options.

    The route realignment goes through.

Realign routes in a line network

Route realignment in a line network is supported using the following rule: The centerlines used for realignment must not touch the route being realigned.

The following examples illustrate this rule.

In the first example below, the centerline touches route R1, so only route R2 can be realigned.

Example 1: Before realignment

Route ID	Line Order
R1	100
R2	200

The line orders are updated as per the new realignment.

Example 1: After realignment

Route ID	Line Order
R1	200
R2	100

In this second example, the centerline touches route R2, so only route R1 can be realigned.

Example 2: before realignment

Route ID	Line Order
R1	100
R2	200

Example 2: After realignment

Route ID	Line Order
R1	100
R2	200

The line orders are updated as per the new realignment.

Use the following steps to realign routes in a line network:

1. Add the centerline and network feature class to a map.

   You can also open a map in which the centerline and network feature class is already present.

   Note:

   The information model expects only one centerline at any given location. Ensure that the centerlines you're using for your edit do not overlap other centerlines in your LRS.

   Note:

   Traditionally versioned networks must be edited through a direct connection to the geodatabase. Branch versioned networks, including any network configured with a user-generated route ID, must be edited through a feature service.

2. Zoom in to the location where you want to realign the route.

   Note:

   The centerline feature for realigning the route must exist in the centerline feature class before realigning the route.

3. On the Location Referencing tab, in the Routes group, click Realign .

   

   The Realign Route pane appears with the Select By Rectangle option as the default.

4. Use your mouse to select one or more centerlines by rectangle at the location of the new route.

   You can also click the Select one or more centerlines drop-down arrow to choose one of the remaining selection tools: Select By Polygon , Select By Lasso , Select By Circle , Select By Line , or Select By Trace .

   Alternatively, you can use the interactive selection tools on the Map tab on the ArcGIS Pro ribbon:

   The selected centerlines are highlighted on the map and the Allow choosing of one or more centerlines button appears in the Realign Route pane. The Selected Centerlines count is shown above the table.

5. Click the Allow choosing of one or more centerlines button .

   A table appears in the Realign Route pane with each chosen centerline in a numbered row that corresponds to the selection order. Chosen centerlines are numbered on the map and highlighted in dark blue. The sum of Chosen Centerlines is shown below the table.

   

6. Optionally, change the centerline selection order by choosing one or more rows from the Order column and using the buttons below the table. You can also drag rows into the desired order.

   Changes in the table selection order are also shown on the map.

   Tools available in the centerlines table

   Tool	Tool name	Tool description
   	Allow choosing one or more centerlines	Allows you to choose the centerlines on the map and displays them in a table by order of selection. Use the move buttons below the table or drag rows to reorder the chosen centerlines.
   	Clear the currently chosen centerlines	Clears the chosen centerlines and keeps the selected centerlines. You can reselect after clicking this button or click the Allow choosing one or more centerlines button a second time.
   	Move chosen centerlines up	Moves one or more selected centerlines up a row in the table order.
   	Move chosen centerlines to the top	Moves one or more centerlines to the top of the table order.
   	Move chosen centerlines down	Moves one or more centerlines down a row in the table order.
   	Move chosen centerlines to the bottom	Moves one or more centerlines to the bottom of the table order.
   	Flip the direction of the centerlines	Reverses the direction of the chosen centerlines.
   	Remove the chosen centerlines	Removes the chosen centerline from the table order but leaves it selected.

   Tip:

   To change the display field shown in the centerlines table, right-click the centerline feature class in the Contents pane and choose Properties from the context menu. On the Layer Properties dialog box, click the Display tab, and click the Display field drop-down arrow to change its value. In the previous image, the display field is OBJECTID.

7. In the Realign Route pane, choose the network in which the realignment will take place.

   Note:

   To edit using feature services, the LRS Network must be published with the linear referencing and version management capabilities.

8. Click the Effective Date drop-down arrow and choose a date for the edit.

   Tip:

   • Optionally, provide the date in the Effective Date text box.
   • Double-click the empty Effective Date text box to populate it with today's date.
9. Depending whether the centerline touches the route, do one of the following:
   • If the centerline touches the route, the From Route ID, From Measure and To Measure parameters in the Source Route section are autopopulated.
   • If the centerline doesn't touch the route, you can use the pickers to populate the From Route Name, From Measure and To Measure parameters. Additionally, you can type the measure values.
10. In the Realigned Route section, populate the route ID by doing one of the following:
    1. Click the Choose route from map button and click an existing route on the same line. The route should not be the one that the centerline touches.
    2. Type the route ID of an existing route on the same line. The route should not be the one that the centerline touches.

       If the typed route ID is not present in the data, then a new route (with the typed RouteID) gets created on the same line.

11. The From Measure value in the Realigned Route section is automatically populated.

    The suggested from measure value is the measure at the location where the start of the centerline touches the source route. To change the suggested from measure, do one of the following:

    Note:

    The From Measure and To Measure are not suggested if the centerline is not coincident on the source routes.

    To change the suggested from measure, do one of the following:

    • Type a From Measure value of your choice.
    • If you do not know the from measure, allow Roads and Highways to suggest it. Click the Recalculate From Measure button .
12. The To Measure value in the Realigned Route section is automatically populated.

    The suggested To Measure value is the measure at the location where the end of the centerline touches the target route. It is calculated by the geometric length of the centerline plus the to measure.

    To change the suggested from measure, do one of the following:

    • Type a To Measure value of your choice.
    • If you do not know the from measure, allow Roads and Highways to suggest it. Click the Recalculate To Measure button .
13. Click Next.

    The tool transitions to the next page, in the routes that are going to be retired due to the realignment are listed.

    

14. Click Run.

    Note:

    If your route edit will result in the introduction of one or more physical gaps on the route, a prompt appears to alert you before the tool is run. If you didn't plan to create a gapped route, answer No and edit your digitized centerlines so that no gaps result during route editing.

    You can prevent unplanned centerlines by enabling snapping in the active map, or by enabling snapping using the Edit tab, Snapping group, Snapping button .

    You can disable this warning by unchecking Warn before allowing route edits that can create physical gaps in Location Referencing options.

    The route realignment is completed.