For the sixth year in a row, the intersection of I-95 and SR 4 in Fort Lee, New Jersey, has been named the worst freight bottleneck in the country by the American Transportation Research Institute.

ATRI’s 13^th annual list highlighting the most congested bottlenecks for trucks in America identified the 100 worst offenders. The remaining Top 10 bottlenecks include:

• 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 2024 Top Truck Bottleneck List measures the level of truck-involved congestion at more than 325 locations on the national highway system. 

The analysis, based on an extensive database of freight truck GPS data, uses customized software applications and analysis methods, along with terabytes of data from trucking operations, to produce a congestion impact ranking for each location.

Congestion Getting Worse

ATRI’s analysis of 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 4% from the previous year. Among the top-10 locations, average rush hour truck speeds were 28.5 mph.

There were 29 states with at least one top-100 bottleneck. Among the top 100 bottlenecks, 62% had average truck speeds of less than 45 mph.

Last fall, ATRI reported that traffic congestion on U.S. highways added $94.6 billion in costs to the trucking industry in 2021, according to its Cost of Congestion study. 

Texas, Georgia Have Most Bottlenecks

Thirteen Texas locations made the top 100, including nine in the Houston metropolitan area (two of them in the top 10), leading ATRI to issue a news release that the Lone Star State once again leads the nation in truck bottlenecks.

“Texans are no strangers to traffic congestion,” said Texas Trucking Association President and CEO John D. Esparza. “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.”

Nine Georgia locations made the top 100, including three in the top 10.

“With five Metro Atlanta locations in the top-20 ranking, our traffic challenges are not insignificant,” said Georgia Motor Trucking Association President and CEO Ed Crowell. He added that the Georgia DOT's Major Mobility Investment Program is targeting many of these chokepoints to ultimately improve freight movement