Atlanta’s 1-285, 1-85 interchange “Spaghetti Junction” as ATRI’s top truck bottleneck for 2017

Updated Jan 29, 2017
SpaghettiJunctionGA
I-285, I-85 interchange, a.k.a. “Spaghetti Junction” – courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey

For the second year in a row, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has named the I-285, I-85 interchange (Tom Moreland Interchange) near Atlanta, a.k.a. “Spaghetti Junction,” as the top truck bottleneck in the country for 2017.

Screen Shot 2017 01 26 At 11 25 17 AmATRI makes the list based on “truck-oriented congestion” at 250 sites using truck GPS data from more than 600,000 heavy-duty trucks. The group says the data is associated with the Freight Performance Measures initiative sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration.

“Trucks move 70% of the nation’s goods, so knowing where there are kinks and slowdowns in the system is important for motor carriers and our professional drivers, making this analysis a key tool for identifying where and when to route our trucks to avoid congestion,” says Prime Inc. President and CEO Robert Low.

“With President Trump expected to press for significant long-term infrastructure spending, this ATRI analysis should be a key guide for deciding what projects are worthy of funding,” says American Trucking Associations President Chris Spear. “Ensuring the safe and efficient movement of goods should be a national priority and this report draws attention to the places where our highway network needs improvement in order to meet that goal.”

The top 20 truck bottlenecks are:

  • Atlanta, Georgia: I-285 at I-85 (North)
  • Fort Lee, New Jersey: I-95 at SR 4
  • Chicago, Illinois: I-290 at I-90/I-94
  • Louisville, Kentucky: I-65 at I-64/I-71
  • Cincinnati, Ohio: I-71 at I-75
  • Los Angeles, California: SR 60 at SR 57
  • Auburn, Washington: SR 18 at SR 167
  • Houston, Texas: I-45 at US 59
  • Atlanta, Georgia: I-75 at I-285 (North)
  • Seattle, Washington: I-5 at I-90
  • Houston, Texas: I-10 at I-45
  • Dallas, Texas: I-45 at I-30
  • Houston, Texas: I-10 at US 59
  • Atlanta, Georgia: I-20 at I-285 (West)
  • Chicago, Illinois: I-90 at I-94 (North)
  • Tacoma, Washington: I-5 at I-705/SR 16
  • Los Angeles, California: I-710 at I-105
  • Federal Way, Washington: SR 18 at I-5
  • Baton Rouge, Louisiana: I-10 at I-110
  • Nashville, Tennessee: I-24 at I-440 (North)

The full list is available here.