Drivers once again experience the worst congestion on the New Jersey side of the George Washington Bridge outside New York City, and average truck speeds drop year-over-year as traffic returns to pre-pandemic levels, according to ATRI’s annual analysis. ATRI’s Top Truck Bottleneck List of 300 locations on U.S. highways revealed the New Jersey side of the bridge in Fort Lee to be the worst bottleneck for the fifth consecutive year, with average rush hour truck speed at 36.3 mph, 6.1% slower than 2022’s report. Almost half of the nation’s top 100 bottlenecks have average truck speeds of fewer than 45 mph over a 24-hour period.
Rebecca Brewster, President and CEO of ATRI said they are seeing a return to pre-pandemic traffic conditions. ATRI’s data is used by carriers to schedule deliveries, and by governments to identify and improve infrastructure. For example, the Jane Byrne Interchange (formerly known as the Circle Interchange) in Chicago was spurred by ATRI data; it dropped from No. 1 to No. 6 bottleneck after completion in December 2022. American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear commented on the need for investment to get goods and people moving, noting the cost of doing nothing is delays, wasted fuel and time.
Top 10 Predicted Bottle Necks
1. Fort Lee, New Jersey: I-95 at SR 4
2. Chicago: I-294 at I-290/I-88
3. Houston: I-45 at I-69/US 59
4. Atlanta: I-285 at I-85 (North)
5. Atlanta: I-20 at I-285 (West)
Leave a Comment