To create a new route, you need to have a route feature class and some features to build the route from (usually from another feature class, although you can also digitize a feature and make a route from it).

Turn on the Editor and Route Editing toolbars and set the Target feature class to the route feature class in which you will create the new route.

In this example a set of nine highway features are selected from the base_roads feature class and the new route is built from them. This workflow might be used by a highway authority that becomes responsible for maintaining a road that it previously had not been maintaining.

The Make Route command creates a new route in the target feature class by merging a selected set of line features and setting the measure values. The selected line features do not need to be from the target feature class.

Once the features that will be the new route are selected, click the Make Route button on the Route Editing toolbar. Click the Start Point button to select the location on the map where the route will start. The Make Route dialog box changes and lets you know you need to pick a route starting point. Click the map near the upper-right corner of the selected set of features. This is where the output route’s measures will begin.

The program tries to assist you by circling the endpoint it will select. As you move your mouse along the route, this point can change. This is useful because you do not need to select the exact spot on the route; just click on the display when the correct location is circled.

Once the start point is designated, click Make Route on the Make Route dialog box.

The new route will flash when it is being created. During the route creation process, the selected lines will be deselected, and the new route will be selected. This is so you can set the new route’s attributes.