For the first time ever, the intersection of I-294 and I-290/I-88 in Chicago is the top freight bottleneck in the country, surpassing the long-standing No. 1 bottleneck in Fort Lee, N.J., according to American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI)’s 2026 Top Truck Bottleneck List.
“Congestion delays inflicted on truckers are the equivalent of 436,000 drivers sitting idle for an entire year,” says ATRI president and COO Rebecca Brewster. “While these congestion metrics are getting worse, the good news is that states do not need to accept the status quo. Illinois has been home to the country’s top bottleneck before, but following a sustained effort to expand capacity, its previous No. 1 bottleneck at the Jane Byrne Interchange no longer ranks in the top 25. This data gives policymakers a road map to reduce chokepoints, lower emissions, and drive economic growth.”
Key takeaways:
- The Top 10 truck bottlenecks are:
1. I-294 and I-290/I-88 in Chicago
2. I-95 at SR 4 in Fort Lee, N.J.
3. I-285 at I-85 (North) in Atlanta
4. I-45 at I-69/US 59 in Houston, Texas
5. I-75 at I-285 (North) in Atlanta
6. I-20 at I-285 (West) in Atlanta
7. I-24/I-40 at I-440 (East) in Nashville, Tenn.
8. I-10 at I-69/US 59 in Houston, Texas
9. I-71 at I-75 in Cincinnati
10. I-75 in McDonough, Ga.
· ATRI’s analysis, which utilized data from 2025, found traffic conditions continue to deteriorate from recent years, in some instances due to work zones that result from increased infrastructure investment.
· Average rush hour truck speeds were 33.2 MPH, 2.8% slower than the previous year. Among the Top 10 locations, average rush hour truck speeds were 29.6 MPH.
