Jump to the following:

Ordnance Survey logo

Discover Ordnance Survey

Site Search

Feature types and attribution in the Road Network theme

Go to: Road | RoadLink | RoadNode | FerryLink | FerryNode | FerryTerminal | InformationPoint

In OS MasterMap® Integrated Transport Network™ Layer (ITN), features are classified using feature type and feature description attributes. This section describes the feature types in the Road Network theme, illustrates their permitted attribution and shows the expected occurrence of the attributes for each feature type in the data. These occurrences are shown in UML notation; 0 for optional, 1 for a single, * for multiple, and ‘or’ being represented by double dots (..).

Road

A Road is a compound feature that represents a road with a name or number. This may be a Department for Transport (DfT) classified road, such as the A38, or a named road, such as ‘Romsey Road’. The feature consists of a set of references to RoadLink features that provide the network topology of the road. A classified road references all of the RoadLink features that represent it. The links may not be contiguous either across junctions or where a classified road consists of separate sections, which may be separated by some considerable distance.

Classified roads that have sections that are trunk roads or primary routes have these portions identified as separate Road features; these reference only the elements that make up the trunk road or primary route. Named roads reference all of the RoadLink features that represent the same contiguous named road, where RoadLink features may be separated by a given threshold. On occasion, RoadLink features separated in excess of this tolerance may result in two Road features being created. Unnamed and unnumbered roads are included as RoadLink features, but are not referenced by a Road feature.

Feature type:  Road

Attribute

Cardinality

Type

Mandatory

Notes

TOID

1

Identifier

Yes

 

version

1

Integer

Yes

 

versionDate

1

Date

Yes

 

changeHistory

*

Complex

No

 

descriptiveGroup

1

Fixed String

Yes

‘Road Topology’

descriptiveTerm

0..1

Controlled String

Yes

 

roadName

1

String

No

 

networkMember

1..*

Identifier of RoadLink

Yes

List of TOIDs relating to the link network

boundedBy

1

Rectangle

Yes

 

theme

1

Fixed String

Yes

‘Road Network’

 

RoadLink

A RoadLink is a road network line representing the general alignment of the road carriageway where the only option for a vehicle is to travel along the link or leave the road network, for example onto a petrol station forecourt or onto private land.

Feature type:  RoadLink

Attribute

Cardinality

Type

Mandatory

Notes

TOID

1

Identifier

Yes

 

version

1

Integer

Yes

 

versionDate

1

Date

Yes

 

changeHistory

*

Complex

No

 

descriptiveGroup

1

Fixed String

Yes

‘Road Topology’

descriptiveTerm

1

Controlled String

Yes

 

natureOfRoad

1

Controlled String

Yes

Defines the type of road  that a RoadLink Represents such as a single or dual carriageway

length

1

Real

Yes

 

polyline

1

LineString

Yes

 

directedNode

2

Identifier of node

Yes

Has a reference to the RoadNode at the start and end of this feature.

referenceToTopographicArea

1..*

TOID

Yes

Reference to the topographic area feature the RoadLink sits on. This is a place holder for future population. Currently set to default value of 'osgb9999’.

theme

1

Fixed String

Yes

‘Road  Network’

 

RoadNode

A RoadNode is a point connected to at least one RoadLink. A RoadNode represents any one of the following options:

  • The intersection or crossing of carriageways
  • The point where a road name or number changes
  • The point where a road name or number ceases to apply
  • The point where a one-way restriction ceases to apply
  • The start or end of a carriageway

Feature type:  RoadNode

Attribute

Cardinality

Type

Mandatory

Notes

TOID

1

Identifier

Yes

 

version

1

Integer

Yes

 

versionDate

1

Date

Yes

 

changeHistory

*

Complex

No

 

descriptiveGroup

1

Fixed String

Yes

‘Road Topology’

point

1

Point (coordinates)

Yes

If relevant and available, the location or the end point of the section (coincident with the vertex on the RoadLink).

referenceToTopographicArea

1

TOID

Yes

Reference to the topographic area that the RoadLink sits on. This is a place holder for future population. Currently set to default value of 'osgb9999’.

theme

1

Fixed String

Yes

‘Road Network’

 

FerryLink

A FerryLink is a network link representing a vehicular ferry route between two ferry terminals.

Feature type:  FerryLink

Attribute

Cardinality

Type

Mandatory

Notes

TOID

1

Identifier

Yes

 

version

1

Integer

Yes

 

versionDate

1

Date

Yes

 

changeHistory

*

Complex

No

 

descriptiveGroup

1

Fixed String

Yes

‘Road Topology’

directedNode

2

Identifier of node

Yes

Has a reference to the RoadNode at the start and end of this feature.

theme

1

Fixed String

Yes

‘Road Network’

 

FerryNode

A FerryNode is a feature representing the terminal of a vehicular ferry route or section of ferry route. A FerryNode must connect with at least one FerryLink.

Feature type:  FerryNode

Attribute

Cardinality

Type

Mandatory

Notes

TOID

1

Identifier

Yes

 

version

1

Integer

Yes

 

versionDate

1

Date

Yes

 

changeHistory

*

Complex

No

 

descriptiveGroup

1

Fixed String

Yes

‘Road Topology’

point

1

Point

(coordinates)

Yes

If relevant and available, the location or the end point of the section (coincident with the vertex on the RoadLink).

theme

1

Fixed String

Yes

‘Road Network’

 

FerryTerminal

A feature used to represent the connectivity between a Road and a FerryLink.

Feature type:  FerryTerminal

Attribute

Cardinality

Type

Mandatory

Notes

TOID

1

Identifier

Yes

 

version

1

Integer

Yes

 

versionDate

1

Date

Yes

 

changeHistory

*

Complex

No

 

descriptiveGroup

1

Fixed String

Yes

‘Road Topology’

descriptiveTerm

2

Controlled String

Yes

 

theme

1

Fixed String

Yes

‘Road Network’

Association

Cardinality

Type

Mandatory

Notes

referenceToNetwork

2..*

TOID

Yes

References to the PathNode and FerryNode features.

 

InformationPoint

InformationPoint is a point feature, not attached to the network, that represents a numbered motorway junction.

Feature type:  InformationPoint

Attribute

Cardinality

Type

Mandatory

Notes

TOID

1

Identifier

Yes

 

version

1

Integer

Yes

 

versionDate

1

Date

Yes

 

changeHistory

*

Complex

No

 

descriptiveGroup

1

Fixed String

Yes

‘Road Topology’

point

1

Point

(coordinates)

Yes

If relevant and available, the location or the end point of the section (coincident with the vertex on the RoadLink).

junctionName

1

String

No

The ‘local’ name of the path (where Ordnance Survey has names in more than one language, such as Welsh or Gaelic)

theme

1

Fixed String

Yes

‘Road Network’

 

 

This web page is part of the technical specification for OS MasterMap® Integrated Transport Network™ Layer. For the terms that apply to use of this specification, refer to Purpose of this specification.

For general enquiries, complaints, feedback or suggestions, email: customerservices@ordnancesurvey.co.uk or call us on 08456 05 05 05