The intersection of Interstate 95 and SR 4 in Fort Lee, NJ, is once again the No. 1 freight bottleneck in the country, according to the American Transportation Research Institute.
ATRI includes the information in its 2021 Top Truck Bottleneck List, which measures the level of truck-involved congestion at over 300 locations on the national highway system.
“While everyone else sheltered in place in 2020, trucks kept rolling, delivering essential goods to communities large and small,” said CRST International President Hugh Ekberg, who added, “Unfortunately, congestion continues to impact our operations and affect our drivers’ ability to deliver for America.”
The other top 10 freight bottlenecks are:
2) Cincinnati: I-71 at I-75.
3) Atlanta: I-285 at I-85 (North).
4) Atlanta: I-20 at I-285 (West).
5) Houston: I-45 at I-69/US 59.
6) Chicago: I-290 at I-90/I-94.
7) Chattanooga, Tennessee: I-75 at I-24.
8) St. Louis: I-64/I-55 at I-44.
9) Rye, New York: I-95 at I-287.
10) San Bernardino, California: I-10 at I-15.
ATRI’s analysis, which utilized data from 2020, found that while there were Covid-related impacts on traffic across the country as car drivers stayed at home, the year was not without severe congestion.
Average truck speeds at a fourth of the bottlenecks on ATRI’s list were 45 MPH or less, reflecting both a return to pre-pandemic freight demand throughout the year and the impact of numerous roadway construction projects in 2020.
ATRI’s bottleneck report highlights where our most critical issues are and should be a guide for policymakers at the state and federal level,” said American Trucking Associations President Chris Spear. “The cost of doing nothing is always higher than the cost of fixing these problems. We cannot wait any longer to address this mounting crisis.”