Appendix A to Subpart A of Part 470 - Guidance Criteria for Evaluating Requests for Interstate System Designations under 23 U.S.C. 103(c)(4)(A) and (B)
23:1.0.1.5.13.1.1.9.15 : Appendix A
Appendix A to Subpart A of Part 470 - Guidance Criteria for
Evaluating Requests for Interstate System Designations under 23
U.S.C. 103(c)(4)(A) and (B)
Section 103(c)(4)(A) and (B), of title 23, U.S.C., permits
States to request the designation of National Highway System routes
as parts or future parts of the Interstate System. The FHWA
Administrator may approve such a request if the route is a logical
addition or connection to the Interstate System and has been, or
will be, constructed to meet Interstate standards. The following
are the general criteria to be used to evaluate 23 U.S.C. 103(c)
requests for Interstate System designations.
1. The proposed route should be of sufficient length to serve
long-distance Interstate travel, such as connecting routes between
principal metropolitan cities or industrial centers important to
national defense and economic development.
2. The proposed route should not duplicate other Interstate
routes. It should serve Interstate traffic movement not provided by
another Interstate route.
3. The proposed route should directly serve major highway
traffic generators. The term “major highway traffic generator”
means either an urbanized area with a population over 100,000 or a
similar major concentrated land use activity that produces and
attracts long-distance Interstate and statewide travel of persons
and goods. Typical examples of similar major concentrated land use
activities would include a principal industrial complex, government
center, military installation, or transportation terminal.
4. The proposed route should connect to the Interstate System at
each end, with the exception of Interstate routes that connect with
continental routes at an international border, or terminate in a
“major highway traffic generator” that is not served by another
Interstate route. In the latter case, the terminus of the
Interstate route should connect to routes of the National Highway
System that will adequately handle the traffic. The proposed route
also must be functionally classified as a principal arterial and be
a part of the National Highway System system.
5. The proposed route must meet all the current geometric and
safety standards criteria as set forth in 23 CFR part 625 for
highways on the Interstate System, or a formal agreement to
construct the route to such standards within 25 years must be
executed between the State(s) and the Federal Highway
Administration. Any proposed exceptions to the standards shall be
approved at the time of designation.
6. A route being proposed for designation under 23 U.S.C.
103(c)(4)(B) must have an approved final environmental document
(including, if required, a 49 U.S.C. 303(c) [Section 4(f)]
approval) covering the route and project action must be ready to
proceed with design at the time of designation. Routes constructed
to Interstate standards are not necessarily logical additions to
the Interstate System unless they clearly meet all of the above
criteria.
[40 FR 42344, Sept. 12, 1975. Redesignated at 41 FR 51396, Nov. 22,
1976, as amended at 76 FR 6692, Feb. 8, 2011]