New to ArcGIS, dumb question. Is this task possible with this software?

Question

I'm completely new to GIS and this question is more to understand if this task that I wanted to do is even feasible with this program.

I have 2 lists of sections of highways in ontario, and I need to find out where they overlap. The information I'm given on these lists is the highway number and what that section of highway is between. For example:

Highway     Location

21               Ipperwash to Huron County boundary

or

406             Main street to port robinson road, Niagara

The locations are given fairly inconsitently, usually as distances between roads, towns, borders or landmarks. Unfortunately, the data I'm given doesnt use the linear highway referencing system that ontario has a database corresponding highway sections with geographic coordinates.

Basically, I want to know is this even possible with this vagueness of locations? Is it easy to see where highways overlap? Am I in way over my head and have no idea what I'm doing?

I'm definitely interested in learrning arcGIS and wanted to use this project as a justification to take time at work to learn how to use the software.

Any thoughts? Sorry for such a new/dumb question, but I don't know where to turn

thanks,

-Trevor

RichardFairhurst · Answer

I am a little unclear on what GIS data you have to work with, but if you have a highway system network that includes these highways than it should be possible.  The Roads and Highways extension at ArcGIS 10.2.2 now supports using relative reference points, such as road intersections, jurisdictional and political boundaries, and any other features that touch or cross the network in your set of GIS data.  It can handle offsets from these features as well.  It also supports overlaying linear events.  The extension also has tools to help you identify and correct road network connectivity issues that otherwise can make linear analysis difficult.

If you don't have 10.2.2 or don't want to invest in that extension, then something similar can be done with Linear Referencing tools that come with ArcMap at any version.  However, It is not easy to develop the data in a way that makes using relative reference descriptions easy to create and use.  If the lists are not excessively long, trying to automate the creation of segments from relative reference descriptions is too time consuming, and you should instead create a copy of your network and manually select the road segments to combine or cut them to match the limits.  Linear Referencing supports conversion of normal lines to linear events and finding the intersection using the LR overlay tools.  Alternatively you can use the standard analysis tools like Intersect if the data is aligned well.

Bottom line is that it is feasible, but it will take work to get it done correctly,

DanPatterson_Retired · Answer

If that is all you have, then you don't have much to go on.  To do an intersection you need spatial information.  Does these data come from some source of linear referencing?