Georgia, New Jersey, Illinois and California accounted for the top five congested bottlenecks for trucks in America last year, with “Spaghetti Junction,” where Interstates 285 and 85 North meet in Atlanta, claiming the top spot for its third year in a row.
Route I-95 at State Route (SR) 4 in Fort Lee, New Jersey, ranked as the second worst bottleneck for trucks in the country. Additionally, I-290 at I-90 and I-94 in Chicago, I-75 at I-285 North in Atlanta, and SR 60 at SR 57 in Los Angeles rounded out the top five of the American Transportation Research Institute’s (ATRI) annual list.
“When your trucks are moving, America is growing,’ is what President Trump told the trucking industry last October,” Dennis Nash, CEO of Kenan Advantage Group, aid. “Unfortunately, as ATRI’s report shows, increasingly our trucks are not moving because of congestion, choke points and bottlenecks on an aging highway system. Addressing congestion and delays at these key interchanges and highways can make our supply chain more efficient, improve the environment by reducing fuel burn and save Americans countless hours of delay and added costs.”
Spots five through 10 on ATRI’s list included I-95 at I-90 in Boston, I-695 at I-70 in Baltimore, I-495 in New York City, I-71 at I-75 in Cincinnati, and I-65 at I-64/I-71 in Louisville.
“As the issue of infrastructure investment comes to the forefront on the national stage, ATRI’s report on truck bottlenecks could not come at a better time,” American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear said. “The safe and efficient movement of freight should be a top priority in any infrastructure package, and this report identifies the areas where investment is most needed. Finding long-term, sustainable funding — like our proposed Build America Fund — to address these needs is critical and we urge Congress and the Administration to quickly move forward on a plan to tackle this growing crisis.”