What is the National Hazardous Materials Route Registry?

The NHMRR is the national repository of both non-radioactive hazardous materials (NRHM) and Radioactive (RAM) routes which are either designated for the hazmat transportation or restricted from use by hazmat carriers.  The primary means of identifying and storing a particular route in the registry is through a textual description of the route which is stored in a database.  This information was collected from each State, Territory, and Indian Tribe that has assigned a routing agency.  A routing agency is designated by the Governor or Indian Tribe official and is responsible to supervise, coordinate, and approve all NRHM routing designations and restrictions prescribed by state, county, local or other governing body within the State, Territory, or Indian Tribe lands.  Presently, there are still a few States, Territories, and Indian Tribes that have not yet assigned a routing agency; therefore, reporting for these entities is not complete.

Each route description within the registry contains the street, highway, bridge, or tunnel upon which the route is based and may contain two intersecting streets or highways (terminators) that define the starting and ending points of the route along the route.  The route description may also include descriptors and notes [found within brackets] which will further describe the route or the intersecting roads which define it.  The description will contain the route origination date, the date in which the route first went into effect, and the last update date, the date in which changes to the route were last logged in the route registry database.  The last update date currently does not appear in the web route report output; however, you can select records on the query form based on this data field. This is useful to find routes that have been updated or changed in the registry since a particular date.

The route description will also include tags that identify what type of material is designated for transportation or restricted from use on the route.  These tags can be decoded using the following Restriction/Designation key.

Restriction / Designation Key

Guidelines for Selecting Preferred Highway Route Controlled Quantity Shipments of Radioactive Materials (RSPA-HMS-92-02)

A comprehensive 109 page document has been compiled which describes in technical detail the federal guidelines for selecting highway route controlled quantities (HRCQ) of radioactive materials. This document was authored by the Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) and describes the quantitative techniques to be employed to calculate a risk assessment of a proposed or existing radioactive material (RAM) route to determine its compliance.  These techniques factor in radioactive dispersion, weather, population density, type of highway, emergency response capabilities, terrain/environmental factors, accident statistics, and other parameters.

Now available online in PDF format - Download (7.3 Mb)

Guidelines for Applying Criteria to Designate Hazmat Routes
(FHWA-SA-94-083)

A comprehensive 131 page document has been compiled which describes in technical detail the federal guidelines which States, Territories, and Indian Tribes must follow when designating non-radioactive hazardous material (NRHM) routes.  This document was authored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and describes the quantitative techniques to be employed to calculate a risk assessment of a proposed or existing hazardous material route to determine its compliance.  These techniques factor in population density, type of highway, emergency response capabilities, terrain/environmental factors, accident statistics, and other parameters. This guide was revised in 1996 by the National Highway Institute by the document entitled "Highway Routing of Hazardous Materials: Guidelines for Applying Criteria" FHWA-HI-97-004, NHI Course No. 38064.

Now available online in PDF format - Download (14.3 Mb)