The portion of I-35 in Austin came in 27th among the 100 top truck bottlenecks ranked by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) based on big rigs’ GPS data.
The Texas city’s I-35 segment has an average speed of 36.2 mph, with traffic slowing to 27.4 mph during peak-use periods and reaching an average of 39.3 during non-peak hours, according to the ATRI’s 2022 study, which examined GPS data from 1 million freight trucks.
The peak average speed on the I-35 segment declined 8.5% between 2020 and 2021, according to the analysis. But the peak average speed also shot up 74.7% from 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, to last year.
The ATRI’s examination of GPS data has been used in many U.S. Department of Transportation mobility initiatives, ATRI reported. Improving the traffic flow at bottlenecks is needed to address challenges to the nation’s supply chain and overall infrastructure, according to the report.
Texas recorded 14 big rig bottlenecks on its roadways, the most of any of the 50 states, the ATRI said.
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The Top 50 Truck Bottlenecks as of 2022
| Congestion
Ranking | Congestion Description | State | Average
Speed | Peak
Average Speed | Non-Peak
Average Speed | Peak Average
Speed Percent Change 2020-2021 | Peak Average
Speed Percent Change 2019-2021 |
| 1 | Fort Lee, NJ: I-95 at SR 4 | NJ | 30.1 | 22.4 | 33.4 | -28.20% | 0.10% |
| 2 | Cincinnati, OH: I-71 at I-75 | OH | 38.6 | 33.6 | 40.6 | -16.30% | -6.70% |
| 3 | Houston, TX: I-45 at I-69/US 59 | TX | 33.2 | 24.4 | 37.2 | -22.40% | 19.30% |
| 4 | Atlanta, GA: I-285 at I-85 (North) | GA | 38.9 | 30.4 | 42.7 | -11.70% | 35.50% |
| 5 | Atlanta, GA: I-20 at I-285 (West) | GA | 41.9 | 37.2 | 43.9 | -9% | 2.40% |
| 6 | Chicago, IL: I-290 at I-90/I-94 | IL | 24.4 | 20.3 | 25.8 | -20% | 26.10% |
| 7 | Los Angeles, CA: SR 60 at SR 57 | CA | 43.3 | 36.9 | 46 | -12.10% | 11.50% |
| 8 | Dallas, TX: I-45 at I-30 | TX | 37.2 | 27.3 | 41.6 | -18.60% | -1.70% |
| 9 | San Bernardino, CA: I-10 at I-15 | CA | 42.2 | 35.7 | 44.8 | -12.10% | 9.90% |
| 10 | Chattanooga, TN: I-75 at I-24 | TN | 47.9 | 45.8 | 48.7 | -2.30% | -4% |
| 11 | Nashville, TN: I-24/I-40 at I-440 (East) | TN | 44 | 35 | 47.9 | -12.40% | 45.40% |
| 12 | McDonough, GA: I-75 | GA | 48 | 44 | 49.5 | -10.90% | -10.80% |
| 13 | Houston, TX: I-10 at I-45 | TX | 41.2 | 30.5 | 46.5 | -23.20% | 22.60% |
| 14 | Atlanta, GA: I-75 at I-285 (North) | GA | 46.3 | 42.1 | 48 | -7.70% | 44.50% |
| 15 | Houston, TX: I-45 at I-610 (North) | TX | 41 | 31 | 46 | -19.70% | 18.70% |
| 16 | Baton Rouge, LA: I-10 at I-110 | LA | 37.4 | 30.6 | 40.8 | -18.80% | 3.90% |
| 17 | Rye, NY: I-95 at I-287 | NY | 46.6 | 44.5 | 47.2 | -2.60% | 9% |
| 18 | Atlanta, GA: I-285 at SR 400 | GA | 44.5 | 37 | 47.8 | -25.90% | 19% |
| 19 | Chicago, IL: I-80 at I-94 | IL | 49.4 | 47.1 | 50.3 | -8.20% | -0.20% |
| 20 | Brooklyn, NY: I-278 at Belt Parkway | NY | 34.9 | 29.5 | 37.3 | -12.60% | 16.10% |
| 21 | Atlanta, GA: I-20 at I-285 (East) | GA | 46.6 | 41.4 | 48.8 | -10.60% | 8% |
| 22 | Denver, CO: I-70 at I-25 | CO | 39.9 | 31.7 | 44.1 | -18.30% | 6.90% |
| 23 | Chicago, IL: I-90 at I-94 (South) | IL | 43.3 | 36.9 | 45.6 | -10.70% | 16.10% |
| 24 | Hartford, CT: I-84 at I-91 | CT | 49 | 44.8 | 50.4 | -5% | 36.70% |
| 25 | St. Louis, MO: I-64/I-55 at I-44 | MO | 46.4 | 45.4 | 46.8 | -1.60% | 8.40% |
| 26 | Philadelphia, PA: I-76 at I-676 | PA | 30.3 | 26.1 | 31.8 | -15.20% | 11.60% |
| 27 | Austin, TX: I-35 | TX | 36.2 | 27.4 | 39.3 | -8.50% | 74.70% |
| 28 | Portland, OR: I-5 at I-84 | OR | 37.3 | 32.3 | 39.5 | -13.70% | 40.60% |
| 29 | Chattanooga, TN: I-24 at US 27 | TN | 47.2 | 40.3 | 50.4 | -15.40% | 6% |
| 30 | Houston, TX: I-10 at I-610 (West) | TX | 47.5 | 38.5 | 51.6 | -14.30% | 23.10% |
| 31 | Queens, NY: I-495 | NY | 24.9 | 17.2 | 29.1 | -16.80% | 14.40% |
| 32 | Providence, RI: I-95 at I-195 | RI | 41.3 | 36.2 | 43.6 | -13.20% | 14.30% |
| 33 | Vancouver, WA: I-5 at Columbia River | WA | 45.4 | 43.2 | 46.2 | -1.80% | 22% |
| 34 | Houston, TX: I-610 at US 290 | TX | 44.3 | 34.6 | 49.5 | -18% | 12.80% |
| 35 | Corona, CA: I-15 at SR 91 | CA | 45 | 40 | 46.8 | -8.70% | 18.40% |
| 36 | Tacoma, WA: I-5 at I-705/SR 16 | WA | 43.7 | 37.7 | 46.5 | -12.10% | 18.80% |
| 37 | Stamford, CT: I-95 | CT | 43.9 | 34.5 | 47.1 | -15.60% | 9.90% |
| 38 | Chicago, IL: I-90 at I-94 (North) | IL | 38.6 | 26.4 | 43.9 | -27.10% | 59% |
| 39 | Bronx, NY: I-678 | NY | 32.2 | 28.1 | 34.1 | -23.40% | 8.70% |
| 40 | Denver, CO: I-70 at I-270 | CO | 44 | 37.2 | 47.4 | -7.50% | 31.40% |
| 41 | Houston, TX: I-10 at I-610 (East ) | TX | 50.1 | 44.5 | 52.6 | -9.50% | 5.90% |
| 42 | Memphis, TN: I-55 at I-40 | TN | 49.8 | 48.6 | 50.2 | -11.70% | -11.70% |
| 43 | Philadelphia, PA: I-476 at I-95 | PA | 44.1 | 41.8 | 45 | -11.00% | 26.30% |
| 44 | Seattle, WA: I-5 at I-90 | WA | 36 | 27.6 | 40.2 | -14.80% | 7.80% |
| 45 | Atlanta, GA: I-20 at I-75/I-85 | GA | 41.8 | 35.1 | 44.2 | -15.60% | 30.40% |
| 46 | Philadelphia, PA: I-76 at US 1 | PA | 35.9 | 29.1 | 38.9 | -20.80% | 32.70% |
| 47 | Oakland, CA: I-880 at I-238 | CA | 43.9 | 38.1 | 46.9 | -13.10% | 18.50% |
| 48 | Federal Way, WA: SR 18 at I-5 | WA | 45.5 | 38.6 | 48.8 | -14.30% | 17.20% |
| 49 | Nashville, TN: I-40 at I-65 (East) | TN | 45.2 | 38.7 | 47.9 | -6.50% | 46.60% |
| 50 | Detroit, MI: I-94 at I-75 | MI | 47.2 | 44.2 | 48.6 | -6.50% | 15.70% |