ATRI RELEASES ANNUAL LIST OF TOP 100 TRUCK BOTTLENECKS

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Transportation Research Institute today released its 13^th annual list highlighting the most congested bottlenecks for trucks in America.

The 2024 Top Truck Bottleneck List measures the level of truck-involved congestion at over 325 locations on the national highway system.  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 truck GPS data is also used to support numerous state and federal freight mobility initiatives. The bottleneck locations detailed in this latest ATRI list represent the top 100 congested locations, although ATRI continuously monitors more than 325 freight-critical locations.

For the sixth year in a row, the intersection of I-95 and SR 4 in Fort Lee, New Jersey is once again the Number One freight bottleneck in the country. The remaining Top 10 bottlenecks include:

• No. 2 Chicago: I-294 at I-290/I-88
• No. 3 Chicago: I-55
• No. 4 Houston: I-45 at I-69/US 59
• No. 5 Atlanta: I-285 at I-85 (North)
• No. 6 Atlanta: I-20 at I-285 (West)
• No. 7 Los Angeles: SR 60 at SR 57
• No. 8 Houston: I-10 at I-45
• No. 9 Atlanta: I-285 at SR 400
• No. 10 Nashville: I-24/I-40 at I-440 (East)

ATRI's analysis, which utilized data from 2023, found traffic conditions continue to deteriorate from recent years, in some instances due to work zones resulting from increased infrastructure investment.  Average rush hour truck speeds were 34.4 MPH, down nearly four percent from the previous year.  Among the top-10 locations, average rush hour truck speeds were 28.5 MPH. 

"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 ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. "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."

For access to the full report, including detailed information on each of the 100 top congested locations, please visit ATRI's website here. ATRI is also providing animations created with truck GPS data for select bottleneck locations, all available on the website.

ATRI is the trucking industry's 501c3 not-for-profit research organization. It is engaged in critical research relating to freight transportation's essential role in maintaining a safe, secure and efficient transportation system.

SOURCE American Transportation Research Institute