Traffic Bottlenecks: Atlanta Has 2 Of The Top 5 In U.S.

Traffic Bottlenecks: Atlanta Has 2 Of The Top 5 In U.S.

"Spaghetti Junction" — also known as I-85 at I-285 — and I-20 at I-285 are among the worst truck bottlenecks in the U.S., researchers say.

Marcus K. Garner,Patch Staff

"Spaghetti Junction" — also known as I-85 at I-285 — and I-20 at I-285 are among the worst truck bottlenecks in the U.S., according to the American Transportation Research Institute. (Scott Anderson/Patch)

ATLANTA, GA — It should come as no surprise that Atlanta is on an “America’s Traffic Worsts” list.

This time, it’s the 2022 Top 100 Truck Bottlenecks List, on which Atlanta’s aptly named “Spaghetti Junction” at Interstate 85 North and Interstate 285 holds the No. 4 spot.

Right behind at No. 5 is Interstate 285 at Interstate 20 West, which can jam up the west side of the perimeter for miles every weekday.

The list is compiled each year by the American Transportation Research Institute to measure the level of truck-involved congestion at more than 300 locations across the national highway system.

Both Atlanta junctions dropped in ranking from 2021, when they were No. 3 and No. 4, respectively.

ATRI compiles the congestion impact ranking using GPS data from more than 1 million freight trucks, along with several customized software applications and analysis methods, and terabytes of data from trucking operations.

The data also is used to support the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Freight Mobility Initiative, institute officials said.

In addition, the analysis that was pulled from 2021 data found that traffic levels across the country rebounded as more Americans returned to work and demand for consumer goods and services bounced back following the early months of the pandemic. The result was bottlenecking in supply chains, ATRI President and CEO Chris Spear said.

“ATRI’s bottleneck list is a roadmap for federal and state administrators responsible for prioritizing infrastructure investments throughout the country,” Spear said. “Every year, ATRI’s list highlights the dire needs for modernizing and improving our roads and bridges. We have seen, most recently in Pittsburgh, that the cost of doing nothing could also cost lives. It’s time to fund these projects and get our supply chains moving again.”

New Jersey’s Interstate 95 at State Route 4 in Fort Lee tops the list for the fourth year in a row, followed by Interstate 71 at Interstate 75 in Cincinnati at No. 2, and Houston’s Interstate 45 at Interstate 69/U.S. 59. For a list of all 100 bottlenecks ranked and a full list of the report, go to ATRI's website.

https://patch.com/georgia/loganville/s/i3zpu/traffic-bottlenecks-atlant…