Section 1: Overview
Purpose of the National Highway System
The purpose of the National Highway System (NHS) is to provide
an interconnected system of principal arterial routes which serve
major population centers, international border crossings, ports, airports,
public transportation facilities, and other intermodal transportation
facilities and major travel destinations; meet national defense
requirements; and serve interstate and interregional travel.
Laws and Regulations regarding the National Highway System
- The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, Section 1006 called for the creation of the NHS. See . The National Highway System Designation Act of 1995, Section 101 designates that the NHS be developed by the Secretary of Transportation in cooperation with states, local officials, and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs). See .
- Title 23 Code Federal Regulations Part 470, §470.113 – Defines the NHS modification process. See .
- Moving Ahead for Progress-21 (MAP-21), Section 1104 expanded the NHS to include all designated principal arterials that were not on the NHS as of 2012. See . The designation of the NHS and of principal arterials was taken from the 2011 Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS). In Texas, the NHS included 13,611 pre-MAP-21 miles and added 5,111 miles after the legislation. Because of the addition of all principal arterials, the mileage cap on the NHS, previously set at 178,250 miles nationwide, was removed.
- The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST) provides an estimated average of $23.3 billion per year for the National Highway Performance Program (NHPP), which will support the condition and performance of the NHS, enable the construction of new facilities on the NHS, and ensure that investments of Federal-aid funds in highway construction are directed to support progress toward achieving performance targets established in a State’s asset management plan for the NHS.
National Highway System Update Frequency
The NHS is a dynamic system that can change in response to
future travel and trade demands. The NHS legislation permits the
Secretary of Transportation to approve most modifications to the
system without congressional approval. States must cooperate with
local and regional officials in proposing modifications to the system.
In metropolitan areas, local and regional officials act through
their MPOs. The main exceptions to the Secretary’s discretion are
connections to major intermodal terminals (ports, airports, rail
terminals, etc.). These require a one-time congressional approval.
Proposed changes to the NHS shall use the functional reclassification
of roads and streets carried out under ISTEA Section 1006(c).
The NHS modification process is defined in regulations (23
CFR 470) and requires a State to submit a request through the FHWA
Division Office.
Requests for modification to the NHS are made by the States
(or by MPOs through States) and approved by the Secretary of Transportation.
In requesting modifications to the NHS, States must provide the
following:
- A description of the route being modified (route name, number, jurisdiction and extent),
- A statement justifying the change,
- Statements of coordination and consultation with affected entities, including adjacent states and MPOs, and
- A statement describing how the change enhances the national transportation characteristics of the NHS.
Requests for modification are made in writing to the FHWA
Division Office. The Division conducts an initial review of the
requests and transmits its recommendation to FHWA Headquarters. Final
decisions on the requests are passed from FHWA Headquarters to the
Division Office who is then responsible for informing states.
National Highway System Location
The statewide planning map has a layer for the NHS. The statewide
planning map is located at
.