The most congested intersection in the country remains in New Jersey, according to American Transportation Research Institute’s newly released list of the top 100 truck bottlenecks, but 13 of those intersections are in Texas, giving the Lone Star State the dubious distinction of owning the most “chokepoints” in the U.S.
Nine of those troublesome truck bottlenecks are in the Houston area, ATRI reported.
“Texans are no strangers to traffic congestion,” John D. Esparza, Texas Trucking Association president and CEO, said in a news release. “Unfortunately, all that congestion means that our state’s economy takes a hit as does our roadway safety and our environment. Trucks are the primary mover of goods in this state and when trucks are stuck in congestion, all consumers pay the price.
“Using ATRI’s annual analysis to see where these chokepoints are most impactful allows the state to target investment for the greatest return on the dollar.”
The 2024 Top Truck Bottleneck List pegs the intersection of I-95 and SR 4 in Fort Lee, New Jersey, as the No. 1 freight bottleneck in the country for the sixth year in a row.
The list measures the level of truck-involved congestion at over 325 locations on the national highway system, ATRI said. The analysis, based on an extensive database of freight truck GPS data, uses several customized software applications and analysis methods, along with terabytes of data from trucking operations to produce a congestion impact ranking for each location. ATRI’s GPS data also supports numerous state and federal freight mobility initiatives.
The Top 10 truck bottlenecks for 2024 include:
- Fort Lee, New Jersey: I-95 at Route 4
- 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)
The 13 truck bottlenecks in Texas include:
- 4. Houston: I-45 at I-69/US 59
- 8. Houston: I-10 at I-45
- 15. Dallas: I-45 at I-30
- 22. Houston: I-45 at I-610 (North)
- 26. Houston: I-10 at I-610 (West)
- 46. Houston: I-610 at US 290
- 54. Austin: I-35
- 57. Houston: I-10 at I-610 (East)
- 62. Dallas: US 75 at I-635
- 68. Ft. Worth: I-35W at I-30
- 83. Houston: I-10 at I-69/US 59
- 88. Houston: I-610 at I-69/US 59 (West)
- 93. Houston: I-45 at Sam Houston Tollway (North)
“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,” said Chris Spear, ATA president and CEO. “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.”