Photo of a black semi-truck leading a long line of heavy traffic.Little else is more frustrating as a driver than watching the highway grind to a halt behind a long line of semi trucks. These rolling steel roadblocks can seemingly pop up out of nowhere, trapping commuters for hours with nowhere to pass.There are stretches of highway across America that have earned a reputation as brutal traffic bottlenecks. These stretches are frequent hot spots for heavy truck traffic and seemingly endless freight congestion. Thankfully, we know exactly where these hot spots are, thanks to the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) collection of truck GPS data. The worst offenders are in Illinois, New Jersey, Georgia, and Texas. The ATRI data highlights the top 100 truck bottlenecks of 2026; here we're covering the top 5.In addition to singling out these notorious, frustrating stretches of highway, this article will cover the average speeds drivers can expect in each area during peak or non-peak times. In addition, we have insight into whether congestion is getting better or worse year-on-year. Knowing where these choke points are before hitting the road can save hours of frustration and delays. Chicago's I-294 is home to the worst truck bottleneck out therePhoto of bumper-to-bumper traffic on a highway.Commuters from the area are unlikely to be surprised that I-294, running through Chicago, Illinois, is in the number one spot. It held the number two spot for years prior to this latest report, and it seems things have gotten worse. Specifically, it's where the I-294 meets with the I-290 and I-88 that traffic grinds to a halt.The research conducted by ATRI shows that at peak times, commuters can expect an average high speed of just 33.1 mph, while at non-peak times it jumps to 42.5. This is an overall average of 39.5 mph, which is still pretty miserable.Here's the really bad news, though. When comparing the most recent 2025 to 2026 data with data from the year before, traffic at this particular truck bottleneck is actually 5% slower than it used to be. Locals have noticed this too, with some taking to online forums to ask why their I-294 commute has suddenly jumped from 40 to 70 minutes. Ongoing construction work on the highway is most likely at fault and isn't pegged to be finished until the end of 2027. So, for now, just head out early and be sure to avoid the worst commuter car choices, unless you really want to spike your stress levels each morning. NYC's George Washington Bridge holds the number two spotHeavy traffic on the George Washington Bridge in NYC.New Yorkers can rejoice in knowing they no longer hold the top spot on the list of the top 100 trucking bottlenecks. This particular bottleneck — found where I-95 meets Route 4 just before the George Washington Bridge — held the number one spot for many years, until the aforementioned Chicago spot took the crown this year.The George Washington Bridge, one of the longest suspension bridges in America, is a natural bottleneck for congestion. After all, there are only so many ways for regular traffic to cross the Hudson, and it's no secret that New York is both densely populated and a regular hot spot for work and leisure travel, so traffic is always flowing. In fact, over 100 million cars per year cross the bridge, and there's a toll to pay, creating a physical stopping point that all traffic has to negotiate.The data shows that the average speed on this stressful stretch is a miserable 28.2 mph, with peak speeds averaging 22.1 and off-peak speeds at 30.7 mph. Believe it or not, that's actually 15.8% better than the average speeds last year . There really is no solid advice for avoiding this bottleneck. It's so bad, commuters have even been known to use homemade boats to side-step this nightmare stretch. Atlanta's first entry on the listAriel photo of Spaghetti Junction in Atlanta, GA.Over 50 years ago, the I-285 was constructed as a bypass to wrap around the city of Atlanta, which is how it earned its rather apt nickname, "the Perimeter." Where this loop meets the I-85 is the third-worst truck bottleneck in the U.S. right now, and with speeds averaging only 35 mph — or 25.9 mph in peak times — it's a bottleneck worth avoiding.To call this a busy stretch would be an understatement. Formally known as the Tom Moreland Interchange, it's better known as "Spaghetti Junction," its what it looks like from above. Local news channels have called it "one of the most infamous bottlenecks in the South." It connects two hugely important interstates and has congestion to prove it.Interestingly enough, this traffic hotspot was conceived in the '80s as a way to relieve traffic around the cloverleaf junction where the two interstates used to meet. It helped, for a while. Atlanta's growing population soon saw the area overwhelmed again, leaving commuters with the struggle we find there today. On top of that, the city is home to the busiest airport in the world, so the number of cars and trucks flowing in and out of the city may not slow down anytime soon. Houston, we have a problemPhoto of Interstate 45 North road sign.Houston's I-45 interchange with I-69 and US-59 ranks fourth. This painfully slow truck bottleneck sees peak-time average speeds of just 20.2 mph. Speeds have stayed pretty constant in recent years, too, changing by just 0.2% since the previous report, suggesting the problem in Texas' busiest freight corridor is a long-term issue rather than just a short-term hiccup.Commuters will be pleased to hear that plans are underway to improve matters. Work on the North Houston Highway Improvement Project (NHHIP) has begun, and this interchange is part of that project, so with any luck, the bottleneck will be addressed in the coming years. For now, though, construction is only set to make matters work.Prior work in the area resulted in headlines predicting "traffic nightmares" that would last for months, but the reality is that congestion in this area has persisted for years, not months, and ongoing construction won't help matters. Work on the NHHIP officially began in 2024, and estimates suggest that work could continue for up to a decade, so salvation for local commuters is a way off. The heavy freight traffic on the I-45 is just one of the reasons why Texas leads the U.S. in interstate fatalities, so hopefully the NHHIP solves more than just slow commutes. Atlanta's I-285 causes more troublePhoto of ariel view of rush hour traffic on three highway overpasses.The city's loop holds two spots in the top five most severe traffic bottlenecks, which is painful news for local commuters. This time around, it's the I-75/I-285 North interchange grinding traffic down to a near-halt, with peak average speeds sitting at just 31.1 mph. Non-peak speeds sit at 42.5 mph, with an average speed of 39.1 mph. It's not the worst on the average speed list but down 5.9% from the previous year, so things are getting worse.Known locally as the "Cobb Cloverleaf," it's a notorious traffic bottleneck. This highly congested freight corridor has ranked in the top 100 worst truck bottlenecks since 2019. While it dropped down the ranks in previous reports, in 2026 it jumped back up to its highest position — fifth. It will come as no surprise to locals that I-285 ranks among the top 15 most congested highways in America. Until troublesome interchanges like this and the aforementioned "Spaghetti Junction" are addressed, the Perimeter is unlikely to drop from the rankings. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox, and add us as a preferred search source on Google.
