N.J. Spot Tops List of Worst Trucking Bottlenecks Again

A crowded intersection in New Jersey has the dubious distinction of being the worst trucking bottleneck in the nation for the sixth year in a row.

That’s according to a Feb. 14 report from the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), which analyzed the most congested junctions in the country. ATRI’s 2024 Top Trucking Bottleneck List crowned the intersection of I-95 and SR 4 — in Fort Lee, New Jersey — as the worst in the nation for the sixth time.

Other regions of the country were similarly singled out for criticism, with Atlanta dominating the list of 10 worst bottlenecks at three entries (I-20 at I-285 – West, I-285 at I-85 – North and I-285 at SR 400). Chicago had two entries on the list (I-55 and I-294 at I-290/I-88), as did Houston (I-45 at I-69/US 59 and I-10 at I-45).

Rounding out the top 10 were Los Angeles with SR 60 at SR 57 and Nashville with I-24/I-40 at I-440 (East).

The list, based on GPS tracking data from 2023, concluded that traffic conditions for trucks have worsened in recent years. As an example, it noted that the average rush hour speed for a truck is 34.4 mph, down nearly four percent from the previous year’s results. In the top 10 worst bottlenecks, that average speed sinks down to 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,” ATA President Chris Spears stated in a release on the report.