Chances are you’ve got an immediate answer if someone asks you which junctions you avoid where two interstate highways cross paths in the United States. In a recently released survey, no other metro area has Atlanta beat, but the Minneapolis, Minnesota, area isn’t exactly smooth hauling either.
For a second straight year, the American Transportation Research Institute has named what some call “Spaghetti Junction,” where Interstates 285 and 85 North intersect outside of Atlanta, Georgia, as the top freight highway bottleneck in the U.S.
The 2017 Top Truck Bottleneck List analyzes the amount of truck-related congestion at 250 locations on the nation’s highway system. By crunching the numbers from several data sources, the ATRI figures that Atlanta has seven of America’s 100 worst locations for back-ups within its metro area. The Minneapolis area isn’t far behind: it has at least four choke points that truckers should know rather well.
All Twin Cities metro area freight congestion bottlenecks revolve around variations of I-35 and I-94. The worst of them, according to the ATRI, survey is that very junction in downtown Minneapolis, MN. Another bad spot is the crossing of I-35E and I-94 in downtown St. Paul. Other major slowdowns can be found in the Southside of the metro in Bloomington at the junction of I-35W and I-494 and on the northern end of the Twin Cities I-35W and I-694 in Brooklyn Center.
If it’s any consolation, three of the four Minneapolis area bottleneck locations dropped in ranking in this latest survey and only one of them (I-35W and I-694) is trending upward. Even so, they present a challenge for drivers at Bay & Bay Transportation in Minneapolis and across the country.
ATRI says its research has pinpointed the trucking industry costs of more than $49 billion dollars annually. The slowdowns and delays caused by the nation’s worst bottlenecks are collectively worth more than 700 million lost hours and would be the same as if nearly 265,000 truck drivers sat idle for an entire year.
While the latest numbers are sure to be a powerful argument for major infrastructure spending, Bay & Bay is acutely aware of what logistical steps are needed to navigate the current roads in the Minneapolis area and nationwide in a timely manner. That applies to local routes in Minneapolis and other cities. Special attention is also being paid to avoiding slowdowns on longer runs across the U.S. and even into Canada.
Bay & Bay Transportation knows its emphasis on safety and reliability is tied to good planning and upgrades to our increasingly congested roadways. It’s why they are known as a quality driven tradition on highways around Minneapolis, MN, and on countless miles of roadway nationwide. Call (888) 801-3026, or visit our website to learn more.