The 13th annual list of road congestion was filled with familiar locations, and I-95 in Fort Lee, N.J., led the nation for the sixth consecutive year. Recently released by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), the 2024 Top Truck Bottleneck List evaluates truck-related congestion across 325 critical freight corridor locations.
“Traffic congestion on our National Highway System inflicts an enormous cost on the supply chain and environment, adding $95 billion to the cost of freight transportation and generating 69 million metric tons of excess carbon emissions every year,” ATA President and CEO Chris Spear reportedly said. “The freight bottlenecks identified in this report provide an actionable blueprint for state and federal transportation officials on where to invest infrastructure funding most cost-effectively. Increasing freight efficiency should be a top priority for the U.S. DOT, and alleviating these bottlenecks would improve highway safety, protect the environment and support interstate commerce.”
Using customized software, GPS data, and other metrics drivers, it’s no coincidence the following not-so-hot spots earned the embarrassment of rounding out the top 10 worst freight bottlenecks.
- Chicago: I-294 at I-290/I-88
- Chicago: I-55
- Houston: I-45 at I-69/US 59
- Atlanta: I-285 at I-85 (North)
- Atlanta: I-20 at I-285 (West)
- Los Angeles: SR 60 at SR 57
- Houston: I-10 at I-45
- Atlanta: I-285 at SR 400
- Nashville: I-24/I-40 at I-440 (East)
While these were the absolute worst areas for truckers to negotiate in 2023, some states also deserve attention for the trucking equivalent of a Golden Raspberry Award, aka “Razzie.” Texas had the dishonor of landing 13 locations in the top 100. To coin a phrase, “Houston, we have a problem.
- No. 54 Austin: I-35
- No. 62 Dallas: US 75 at I-635
- No. 15 Dallas: I-45 at I-30
- No. 68 Ft. Worth: I-35W at I-30
- No. 4 Houston: I-45 at I-69/US 59
- No. 57 Houston: I-10 at I-610 (East)
- No. 8 Houston: I-10 at I-45
- No. 22 Houston: I-45 at I-610 (North)
- No. 83 Houston: I-10 at I-69/US 59
- No. 26 Houston: I-10 at I-610 (West)
- No. 88 Houston: I-610 at I-69/US 59 (West)
- No. 46 Houston: I-610 at US 290
- No. 93 Houston: I-45 at Sam Houston Tollway (North)
“Texans are no strangers to traffic congestion,” Texas Trucking Association President and CEO John D. Esparza reportedly said. “Unfortunately, all that congestion means that our state’s economy takes a hit, as does our roadway safety and our environment.”
Georgia had nine listed, Tennessee posted seven bottlenecks, and Washington State suffered six, as did Illinois, according to the ATRI report.
Sources:
https://truckingresearch.org/2024/02/atri-releases-annual-list-of-top-100-truck-bottlenecks-7/
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