Stuck in traffic: America’s worst bottlenecks for trucks

For the second consecutive year, the intersection of Interstate 95 and state Route 4 in Fort Lee, N.J., has topped the American Transportation Research Institute’s list of most congested truck bottlenecks in the nation.

Based on GPS data from more than 1 million heavy-duty trucks, ATRI assessed the level of truck-involved congestion at 300 locations on the national highway system.

While Fort Lee earned the title of worst bottleneck, Atlanta possessed three intersections in the top 10 and six in the top 100. McDonough, Ga., a part of the Atlanta metro area, also made the top 100.

Texas had the most of any state with 11. California, Georgia, and New York have seven each.  

Top 10 worst bottlenecks

• Fort Lee, N.J.: I-95 at SR 4.
• Atlanta: I-285 at I-85 (north).
• Nashville, Tenn.: I-24/I-40 at I-440 (east).
• Houston: I-45 at I-69/U.S. 59.
• Atlanta: I-75 at I-285 (north).
• Chicago: I-290 at I-90/I-94.
• Atlanta: I-20 at I-285 (west).
• Cincinnati: I-71 at I-75.
• Los Angeles: SR 60 at SR 57.
• Los Angeles: I-710 at I-105.

The list of the 100 worst bottlenecks can be found here.

Infrastructure problems

ATRI’s list was released at a time United States’ infrastructure woes have been placed in the spotlight. A recent report from the American Society of Civil Engineers said that the United States’ infrastructure needs exceed $2 trillion.

According to research from ATRI, the trucking industry loses $74.5 billion annually as a result of congestion on America’s highways. In addition, congestion reportedly leads to 1.2 billion hours of lost productivity.

ATRI’s analysis, which utilized data from 2019, found that the number of locations experience significant congestion – with average daily speeds of 45 mph or less – has increased 92 percent in five years.

More information about ATRI’s study can be found here.

Compare this year’s list to last year’s list of worst bottlenecks here.