Where Does Atlanta Rank in the List of Worst Truck Bottlenecks in the U.S.?

Where Does Atlanta Rank in the List of Worst Semi Bottlenecks in the United States?

The American Transportation Research Institute’s has just released its annual Top Truck Bottleneck List. The list looks at how intense semi truck congestion is in more than 300 spots on the U.S. highway system. The list is based on GPS data gathered from more than one million tractor-trailers in 2020.

The pandemic didn’t cause a ripple hauling freight into and around Atlanta. This constant semi traffic can cause a lot of accidents. So many that Atlanta was ranked the top freight bottleneck in the U.S. by the American Transportation Research Institute. A trusted Atlanta accident lawyer Atlanta residents have hired can make a massive difference between winning and winning big.

Details of the Research

The American Transportation Research Institute found that trucks were able to travel at greater speeds for much of 2020. However, other factors like road construction and the reopening of the local Atlanta economy in the second part of last year still meant that freight wasn’t immune to congestion.

The ATRI’s annual list debuted in 2002. It shows the most congested trucking bottlenecks in America based on GPS data from more than a million freight trucks. The 2021 Top Truck Bottleneck List considers the level of truck-involved congestion at more than 300 locations on the U.S. highway system.

“While everyone else sheltered in place in 2020, trucks kept rolling, delivering essential goods to communities large and small,” said Hugh Ekberg, the president and CEO of CRST International, a trucking company based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. “Unfortunately, congestion continues to impact our operations and affect our drivers’ ability to deliver for America.”

Truck Speeds Improved Last Spring

The American Transportation Research Institute reported that the average truck speed at some of the worst U.S. bottlenecks improved in the spring. But other freight was slowed back down by roadway construction that increased during the economic closures in the pandemic.

Trucker.com said that the ATRI found that once the economic shutdowns eased in the second half of 2020, the traffic levels increased. However, the construction projects caused even more congestion.

In 2020, the average truck speed during peak hours was 43 mph— a 33.9% increase over the 2019 speeds recorded the American Transportation Research Institute. Roughly 25% of the Top 100 freight bottlenecks saw average truck speeds slower than 45 mph, ATRI reported.

The data from 2020 truck GPS data of over a million freight trucks was examined by the ATRI with its customized software applications and analysis methods. They analyze terabytes of data from trucking operations to create a congestion impact ranking for each location. The American Transportation Research Institute’s truck GPS data is also used to support the U.S. DOT’s Freight Mobility Initiative. The bottleneck locations detailed in this latest ATRI list are the top 100 congested locations. Nonetheless, ATRI is continuously monitoring over 300 freight-critical areas.

The data showed that despite COVID-related effects on traffic around the country as many motorists stayed at home, 2020 still had severe congestion. Average truck speeds at roughly 25% of the bottlenecks on ATRI’s list were 45 MPH or less. This indicates a return to pre-pandemic freight demand throughout the year, as well as the impact of a number of major road construction projects in 2020.

“For decades, ATA has been sounding the alarm about how the condition of our highways is contributing to congestion — which slows down commerce, contributes to pollution and reduces safety,” American Trucking Associations’ president and CEO Chris Spear told trucking.com. “ATRI’s bottleneck report highlights where our most critical issues are and should be a guide for policymakers at the state and federal level. The cost of doing nothing is always higher than the cost of fixing these problems and we cannot wait any longer to address this mounting crisis.”

Atlanta Always in the Top Five

Atlanta claims a dubious distinction of claiming a perennial Top 5 worst bottleneck in the United States: I-20 at I-285W, which rose one spot to No. 4 on the 2020 Top Truck Bottleneck List. And you undoubtedly see Atlanta accident lawyers advertising up and down the highway on eyesore billboards.

At the snag on I-20 at I-285W in Atlanta, semis went an average speed of 45.1 mph in 2020, over 12% faster than the average peak speeds in 2019.

Another long-standing list-maker is “Spaghetti Junction” in Atlanta, which includes the I-285/I-85N interchange. That spot was ranked No. 1 on ATRI’s list before Ft. Lee, N.J., claimed the top position in 2017.

In 2020, “Spaghetti Junction” in Atlanta dropped another rung down to Number 3.

Trucks traveled an average speed of 42.6 mph at “Spaghetti Junction” in 2020, which was a 53% increase in peak speeds compared to 2019.

Our knowledgeable Atlanta truck accident lawyer team has taken on trucking companies all over the country. Our experience puts us at the top of any list.

Contact Tobin Injury Law

Fulton County leads the list of counties with fatal accidents. In 2019, the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety recorded 144 deaths, compared to 79 in DeKalb and 67 in Cobb County. So you can see that injury-causing accidents happen in Atlanta, and many of them are the fault of semi trucks that create freight bottlenecks around the metro.

You should work with an experienced Atlanta truck accident attorney if you’ve suffered serious injuries in a truck accident when cargo falls onto the roadway. Contact Tobin Injury Law, and we will work to get you the compensation you deserve, including compensation for property damage. With our experience and skills, we know what to look for when suing a trucking company.

You can contact an experienced Atlanta truck accident lawyer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling 404-JUSTICE (404-587-8423) or using our online contact form. Tobin Injury Law offers free consultations and will be glad to answer your questions.