Top 10 Freight Bottlenecks in the U.S.

What are the Top Freight Bottlenecks in the U.S.?

2020 was an interesting year for truckers, especially since state-mandated lockdowns last year kept passenger vehicles off the roadways for a few months. But even with the pandemic restrictions in effect in different areas of the country last year, truckers still experienced heavy freight bottlenecks in at least 29 different states.

Experienced truckers all have a "worst of the worst" interstate that they absolutely dread traveling on, but according to GPS and other 2020 data pulled by the American Transportation Research Institute, these locations have the heaviest freight bottlenecks in the country.

1. 1-95 at SR 4 – Fort Lee, New Jersey

The distinction of the Worst Freight Bottleneck in the U.S. is nothing new for the intersection of I-95 and New Jersey State Route 4 because this is the third year in a row that this location has made the very top of this list.

Data shows that trucks traveled an average speed of 36.5 mph on I-95 last year – which is surprisingly a 40% increase in peak speeds from 2019.

2. I-71 at I-75 – Cincinnati, Ohio

Jumping six spots and coming in at #2 is the I-71/I-75 interchange in Cincinnati, which has an average speed of 40.1 mph and dips as low as 30 mph in the late afternoon.

The peak speed at this location has increased by 11.5% since 2019, so things are gradually getting faster for this super congested area of Cincinnati.

3. I-285 at I-85 (North) – Atlanta, Georgia

In the area known as "Spaghetti Junction" in Atlanta, the I-285/I-85N interchange was previously #1 on the Worst Freight Bottleneck list for years until Fort Lee, NJ, claimed the spot three years ago. This year, this roadway drops one more position to #3.

Although peak speeds have increased by 12.6% on this famously congested roadway since last year, trucks are still traveling at an average speed of 45.1 mph. The nonpeak average speed, 46.8 mph, is still well below being able to maintain highway speed.

4. I-20 at I-285 (West) – Atlanta, Georgia

Surprise! Atlanta also comes in at #4 on this year's list with I-20 at I-285W, which rose one spot on the Worst Freight Bottleneck list since last year.

5. I-45 at I-69/US 59 – Houston, Texas

This busy Houston roadway actually drops one spot this year to #5. Trucks on I-45 at I-69/US 59 traveled an average of 40.2 mph in 2020, which is nowhere near how fast truckers want to go while on duty, but you may be surprised to hear that's 53.7% faster than trucks were traveling on it last year.

The peak average speed of this Houston location can drop as low as 31.4 mph, so make sure to have a good radio/CD player combination ready if you're traveling this route.

6. I-290 at I-90/I-94 – Chicago, Illinois

I-290 (at the I-90/I-94 interchange) holds firm in the #6 spot of Top Freight Bottlenecks, with trucks traveling an average speed of just 28.8 mph. This is still 57.6% faster than average peak speeds last year, but peak average speed can still slow to a crawl 25.4 mph in this part of the Windy City.

7. I-75 at I-24 – Chattanooga, Tennessee

This location of I-75 at I-24 in Chattanooga may be the biggest surprise this year because it jumped up a whopping 25 spots in this list since last year when it was #32.

Just north of the Georgia border, trucks on this troublesome roadway traveled an average speed of 49.3 mph with a peak average speed of 46.8 – 1.8% slower than its peak speeds last year.

8. I-64/I-55 at I-44 – St. Louis, Missouri

Also up 25 spots this year is the I-65/I-55 junction with I-44 in St. Louis, Missouri. From #33 to #8 in the worst bottleneck list, this area on the western banks of the Mississippi River has an average speed of 47.3 mph and a peak average speed of 46.1 mph.

The average peak speed for this roadway is up 10.1% from last year, but according to the ATRI data, you shouldn't expect to travel any faster than 50 no matter what time of day you're there.

9. I-95 at I-287 – Rye, New York

Although I-95 at I-287 in Rye, New York is not new to the Worst Freight Bottlenecks list, it's moved up four spots from last year's list to #9. This is the second New York City metro area to make the list.

This roadway saw a 12.5% average peak speed increase from 2019, with trucks now achieving an average speed of 47.5 mph with speeds slowing down to almost 35 mph during rush hour times.

10. I-10 at I-15 – San Bernadino, California

ATRI's 2020 Worst Freight Bottlenecks list that was based on 2019 data had two areas from Los Angeles, but the pandemic's effect on California saw a significant decrease in LA traffic.

About 60 miles to the East, however, San Bernadino rose two spots to round out the list at #10. I-10 at I-15 has trucks averaging a speed of 46.7 mph – an impressive 25.1% average peak speed increase.

States with the Highest Number of Top Bottlenecks

In addition to the top 10 list of freight bottlenecks by city, we've also got this year's roster of states with the highest number of top 100 bottlenecks in the country:

• Texas: 12
• California: 8
• Washington: 8
• Connecticut: 7
• Georgia: 7
• Pennsylvania: 7
• New York: 6
• Tennessee: 6

Stay safe out there, and don't forget to check your brakes before driving through any of the areas on this year's list.