Prairie State Wire

Four major traffic congestion locations were identified in Illinois over the past year, all of them in the Chicago region, according to a nationwide analysis of GPS data from more than 1 million freight trucks conducted by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI).

The location with the sixth worst congestion in the nation was the I-290/I-90/I-94 interchange in Chicago, where speeds averaged 25.4 miles per hour during peak traffic times.

The Chicago interchange where the I-90 meets the I-94 (South) came in 19th on the list. The speeds at that location averaged 41.3 mph at peak traffic times, the study found. 

The ATRI’s data analysis is used to examine the effect of truck traffic congestion at more than 300 locations in the nation. Overall, the average peak rush-hour speed at the choke points was 43 mph, which reflected a rise of 33.9% over the previous year’s average speed, the research found.

The ATRI attributed the increase in speeds to the impact of coronavirus pandemic stay-at-home orders and job losses. But roadway construction projects also led to rising congestion at times, according to the report.

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Top 50 Trucking Bottlenecks in 2020

Congestion Ranking	Location Description	State	Average Speed	Peak Average Speed	Non-Peak Average Speed	Peak Average Speed Percent Change 2019-2020
1	Fort Lee: I-95 at SR 4	NJ	36.5	31.3	38.5	39.4%
2	Cincinnati: I-71 at I-75	OH	44.1	40.1	45.7	11.5%
3	Atlanta: I-285 at I-85 (North)	GA	42.6	34.4	46.3	53.5%
4	Atlanta I-20 at I-285 (West)	GA	45.1	40.9	46.8	12.6%
5	Houston: I-45 at I-69/US 59	TX	40.2	31.4	44.1	53.7%
6	Chicago: I-290 at I-90/I-94	IL	28.8	25.4	30.1	57.6%
7	Chattanooga: I-75 at I-24	TN	49.3	46.8	50.4	-1.8%
8	St. Louis: I-64/I-55 at I-44	MO	47.3	46.1	47.7	10.1%
9	Rte I-95 at I-287	NY	47.5	45.7	48	12.0%
10	San Bernardino: I-10 at I-15	CA	46.7	40.7	49.1	25.1%
11	Los Angeles: SR 60 at SR 57	CA	47.2	41.9	49.4	26.8%
12	Dallas: I-45 at I-30	TX	43.1	33.5	47.3	20.8%
13	Nashville: I-24/I-40 at I-440 (East)	TN	47.3	39.9	50.5	65.9%
14	Brooklyn: I-278 at Belt Parkway	NY	38.3	33.7	40.1	32.8%
15	Austin: I-35	TX	38.5	29.9	41.7	91.0%
16	Atlanta: I-75 at I-285 (North)	GA	49.9	45.6	51.7	56.6%
17	Houston: I-45 at I-610 (North)	TX	46.4	38.6	50	47.8%
18	Baton Rouge: I-10 at I-110	LA	43.5	37.7	46.3	28.0%
19	Chicago: I-90 at I-94 (South)	IL	45.5	41.3	47	30.0%
20	Denver: I-70 at I-25	CO	44.8	38.9	47.5	30.9%
21	Los Angeles: I-710 at I-105	CA	45.9	39.1	48.8	55.2%
22	Houston: I-10 at I-45	TX	47.6	39.7	51.1	59.5%
23	Vancouver: I-5 at Columbia River	WA	45.9	44	46.7	24.3%
24	Cincinnati: I-75/I-71 at I-275	OH	49	45.3	50.5	5.1%
25	Atlanta: I-20 at I-285 (East)	GA	49.6	46.3	50.9	20.9%
26	Philadelphia: I-76 at I-676	PA	33.5	30.7	34.6	31.7%
27	Denver: I-70 at I-270	CO	45	40.2	47.2	42.0%
28	Portland: I-5 at I-84	OR	41.2	37.4	42.9	62.9%
29	Queens: I-495	NY	29.3	20.6	34	37.5%
30	Hartford: I-84 at I-91	CT	50.6	47.1	51.7	43.8%
31	McDonough: I-75	GA	52	49.3	53.1	0.1%
32	Corona: I-15 at SR 91	CA	47.4	43.8	48.7	29.6%
33	Providence: I-95 at I-195	RI	45.5	41.7	47.2	31.7%
34	Stamford: I-95	CT	47	40.9	49.1	30.1%
35	Nashville: I-40 at I-65 (East)	TN	47.7	41.4	50.3	56.8%
36	Indianapolis: I-65 at I-70 (North)	IN	51.2	47	53	36.2%
37	Seattle: I-5 at I-90	WA	40.4	32.4	44.4	26.5%
38	Houston: I-10 at I-610 (West)	TX	51.2	44.9	53.9	43.7%
39	Tacoma: I-5 at I-705/SR 16	WA	47.7	42.8	49.9	35.1%
40	Norwalk: I-95	CT	48.6	46.4	49.3	52.3%
41	Waterbury: I-84 at SR 8	CT	48.7	46.4	49.5	-2.0%
42	Chicago: I-80 at I-94	IL	53.3	51.3	54.1	8.7%
43	Dallas: US 75 at I-635	TX	50.2	42.6	53.5	30.8%
44	Los Angeles: I-110 at I-105	CA	44.6	39.7	46.7	39.6%
45	Houston: I-610 at I-69/US 59 (West)	TX	44.6	39.6	46.6	38.6%
46	Bronx: I-678	NY	39.6	36.7	40.9	42.0%
47	Philadelphia: I-76 at US 1	PA	42.1	36.7	44.4	67.4%
48	Gary: I-65 at I-80	IN	53.2	52.3	53.5	7.6%
49	Chicago: I-90 at I-94 (North)	IL	45.3	36.2	49.1	118.2%
50	Houston: I-610 at US 290	TX	49.3	42.1	52.9	37.5%

Source: American Transportation Research Institute