A section of Interstate 35 in the Austin metro area costs drivers more than 600,000 hours per mile in delays annually, making it the second most congested roadway in Texas, according to a new study from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI).
Roadway traffic tie-ups around Texas were down by about 50% in the early part of 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, the TTI report says. But by the end of the year, Texas traffic was back to near-2019 levels, according to the report.
The I-35 segment spans 7.85 miles in the Austin area, from U.S. 290 North to State Highway 71. That section of I-35 was among four Austin-area arteries that made the TTI list of the 50 most congested roadways in Texas.
Overall, drivers in the state saw fewer delays in 2020 due to the pandemic, the study said, and many of the delays they experienced took place outside of the usual “rush hour” time periods.
Truck traffic delays were also reduced last year as a result of COVID-19-related shutdowns, but truck volumes increased at a greater rate than passenger vehicles as the economy reopened, according to the TTI report.
Telecommuting to work, online shopping and virtual K-12 classes were shown to be effective ways to reduce traffic delays in Texas, though continuing this trend may be difficult post-pandemic, the study says.
---
The 50 Most Congested Roadways in Texas
| 2021 Rank | County | Road Name | From | To | Segment Length (Miles) | Annual Delay per Mile (Person-Hours) | Urban Area |
| 1 | Harris | W Loop Fwy / IH 610 | Katy Fwy / IH 10 / US 90 | Southwest Fwy / US 59 / IH 69 | 3.62 | 919,427 | Houston |
| 2 | Travis | IH 35 | US 290 N / SS 69 | Ben White Blvd / SH 71 | 7.85 | 639,389 | Austin |
| 3 | Harris | Southwest Fwy / IH 69 / US 59 | W Loop Fwy / IH 610 | South Fwy / SH 288 | 5.33 | 624,373 | Houston |
| 4 | Dallas | Woodall Rodgers Fwy / SS 366 | US 75 | N Beckley Ave | 1.46 | 623,532 | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| 5 | Harris | Eastex Fwy / IH 69 / US 59 | SH 288 | IH 10 | 3.02 | 376,452 | Houston |
| 6 | Harris | Gulf Fwy / IH 45 | IH 10 / US 90 | S Loop E Fwy / IH 610 | 7.49 | 375,413 | Houston |
| 7 | Dallas | US 75 | Lyndon B. Johnson Fwy / IH 635 | Woodall Rodgers Fwy / SS 366 | 9.19 | 370,025 | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| 8 | Dallas | Stemmons Fwy / IH 35E / US 77 | John W. Carpenter / SH 183 | Tom Landry Fwy / IH 30 | 5.08 | 365,539 | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| 9 | Tarrant | North Fwy / IH 35W / US 287 | SH 183 | IH 30 | 3.37 | 345,097 | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| 10 | Dallas | Lyndon B. Johnson Fwy / IH 635 | Stemmons Fwy / IH 35E / US 77 | US 75 | 7.99 | 341,008 | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| 11 | Harris | North Fwy / IH 45 | Sam Houston Tollway N | N Loop Fwy / IH 610 | 9.26 | 304,230 | Houston |
| 12 | Dallas | IH 345 / US 75 / IH 45 | US 75 | S. M. Wright Fwy / US 175 | 2.36 | 289,083 | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| 13 | Dallas | E R. L. Thornton Fwy / IH 30 / US 67 | Jefferson Viaduct | Buckner Blvd / SL 12 E | 7.83 | 287,514 | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| 14 | Harris | N Loop W Fwy / IH 610 | North Fwy / IH 45 | Katy Fwy / IH 10 / US 90 | 6.01 | 279,982 | Houston |
| 15 | Dallas | Lyndon B. Johnson Fwy / IH 635 | Garland Ave / SH 78 | US 80 | 6.14 | 271,340 | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| 16 | Harris | Katy Fwy / IH 10 / US 90 | W Loop N Fwy / IH 610 | North Fwy / IH 45 | 5.56 | 249,965 | Houston |
| 17 | Harris | South Fwy / SH 288 | Gulf Fwy / IH 45 | S Loop W Fwy / IH 610 | 4.8 | 237,844 | Houston |
| 18 | Harris | Southwest Fwy / IH 69 / US 59 | W Sam Houston Pkwy S / SL 8 | IH 610 | 4.21 | 227,563 | Houston |
| 19 | Cameron | Boca Chica Blvd / SH 48 | IH 69E / US 83 / US 77 | E 14th St | 1.49 | 211,602 | Brownsville |
| 20 | Harris | Katy Fwy / IH 10 / US 90 | N Eldridge Pkwy | Sam Houston Tollway W / SL 8 | 1.63 | 207,255 | Houston |
| 21 | Harris | IH 10 / US 90 | North Fwy / IH 45 | Eastex Fwy / US 59 | 1.57 | 204,117 | Houston |
| 22 | Travis | IH 35 | Ben White Blvd / SH 71 | Slaughter Ln | 3.95 | 198,668 | Austin |
| 23 | Dallas | Lyndon B. Johnson Fwy / IH 635 | US 75 | Garland Ave / SH 78 | 6.09 | 197,740 | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| 24 | Tarrant | IH 35W | Alliance Gateway / SH 170 | US 81 / US 287 | 4.4 | 195,975 | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| 25 | Harris | North Fwy / IH 45 | N Loop Fwy / IH 610 | IH 10 / US 90 | 3.06 | 192,237 | Houston |
| 26 | Dallas | US 75 | President George Bush Turnpike Toll Rd / SH 190 | Lyndon B. Johnson Fwy / IH 635 | 6.3 | 176,692 | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| 27 | Harris | Gulf Fwy / IH 45 | S Loop E Fwy / IH 610 | Sam Houston Tollway SE /
SL 8 | 8.03 | 176,247 | Houston |
| 28 | Webb | Mann Rd / Springfield Ave | Old Santa Maria Rd | Michigan Ave | 1.31 | 175,300 | Laredo |
| 29 | Harris | Katy Fwy / IH 10 / US 90 | Sam Houston Tollway W / SL 8 | W Loop N Fwy / IH 610 | 4.46 | 173,696 | Houston |
| 30 | Harris | S Loop E Fwy / IH 610 | South Fwy / SH 288 | Gulf Fwy / IH 45 | 5.82 | 171,329 | Houston |
| 31 | Williamson | IH 35 | RM 1431 | SH 45 / Louis Henna Blvd | 5.23 | 162,152 | Austin |
| 32 | Dallas | Airport Fwy / SH 183 | SH 360 | SH 161 | 2.47 | 161,767 | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| 33 | Cameron | International Blvd / SH 4 | IH 69E / US 83 / US 77 | Boca Chica Blvd / SH 48 | 1.58 | 155,515 | Brownsville |
| 34 | Tarrant | North Fwy / IH 35W / US 287 | US 81 / US 287 | 28th St / SH 183 | 6.39 | 150,240 | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| 35 | Bexar | Charles West Anderson Loop / SL 1604 N | US 281 | McDermott Fwy / IH 10 / US 87 | 7.93 | 145,605 | San Antonio |
| 36 | Travis | US 290 / SH 71 | RM 1826 | S MoPac Expy / SL 1 | 3.88 | 144,399 | Austin |
| 37 | Webb | Mines Rd / FM 1472 | Pan American Blvd | Bob Bullock Loop / SL 20 | 2.14 | 133,925 | Laredo |
| 38 | Bexar | N PanAm Expy / IH 35 | Charles West Anderson Loop / SL 1604 NE | Connally Loop NE / IH 410 | 4.7 | 133,756 | San Antonio |
| 39 | Denton | BS 121H | Stemmons Fwy / US 77 / IH 35E | SH 121 (S Valley Pkwy) | 3.54 | 130,388 | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| 40 | Dallas | Stemmons Fwy / IH 35E / US 77 | Lyndon B. Johnson Fwy / IH 635 | W Northwest Hwy / SL 12 N | 3.19 | 128,649 | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| 41 | Bexar | Charles West Anderson Loop / SL 1604 NW | McDermott Fwy / IH 10 / US 87 | Braun Rd | 6.42 | 126,765 | San Antonio |
| 42 | Denton | IH 35E / US 77 | BS 121H | Lyndon B. Johnson Fwy / IH 635 | 10.49 | 124,522 | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| 43 | Dallas | Walton Walker Blvd / SL 12 W | IH 35E | IH 30 | 7.08 | 124,157 | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| 44 | Collin | University Dr / US 380 | N Custer Rd / FM 2478 | N McDonald St / SH 5 | 7.05 | 122,791 | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| 45 | Harris | N Loop E Fwy / IH 610 | North Fwy / IH 45 | East Fwy / IH 10 | 8.08 | 114,871 | Houston |
| 46 | Harris | W Loop S Fwy / IH 610 | Southwest Fwy / US 59 / IH 69 | South Fwy / SH 288 | 8 | 112,207 | Houston |
| 47 | Smith | S Broadway Ave / US 69 | W Southwest Loop 323 / SL 323 | SL 49 | 3.71 | 111,249 | Tyler |
| 48 | Harris | South Fwy / SH 288 | S Loop W Fwy / IH 610 | Sam Houston Tollway S / SL 8 | 5.68 | 105,226 | Houston |
| 49 | Bexar | Connally Loop N / IH 410 | McAllister Fwy / US 281 | McDermott Fwy / IH 10 / US 87 | 4.52 | 104,676 | San Antonio |
| 50 | Tarrant | SH 360 | Airport Fwy / SH 183 | Tom Landry Fwy / IH 30 | 4.47 | 101,917 | Dallas-Fort Worth |