Skip to main content

Freight bottleneck analysis of 250 significant US highway locations

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has released the findings of their annual report on congestion at freight significant highway locations.
April 30, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
The 5339 American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) and the 2410 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has released the findings of their annual report on congestion at freight significant highway locations. The research assesses the level of truck-oriented congestion at 250 locations on the national highway system to produce a congestion severity ranking for each location. This ongoing research, which is part of the Freight Performance Measures (FPM) initiative, is sponsored by FHWA's Office of Freight Management and Operations and operated by ATRI.

The FPM congestion monitoring effort combines anonymous truck GPS location information with sophisticated software applications and analysis techniques to assess the levels at which truck-based freight was affected by traffic congestion in 2010.  The result is a clear documentation of system chokepoints, especially during peak travel times in urban locations.

"The impact of traffic congestion on truck travel is well known, but rarely in a fashion where we can pinpoint projects for resource allocation and reconstruction," said Keith Bucklew, manager of Multimodal Planning for the Indiana DOT.  "The FPM programme continues to provide real value to public sector transportation managers."

Kevin Knight, chairman and CEO of Knight Transportation, commented, "Strengthening the efficiency of supply chains is becoming a critical component of U.S. economic growth.  Challenge number one is identifying the freight bottlenecks.  Fortunately, ATRI's report goes far in using real-world data to tell us where the impediments lie."

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Many US bridges need repairs according to ARTBA analysis
    February 15, 2017
    Nearly 56,000 bridges in the US are listed as structurally deficient List, according to new analysis of Federal Data by American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). An analysis of the US Department of Transportation’s (US DOT) recently-released 2016 National Bridge Inventory data finds cars, trucks and school buses cross the nation’s 55,710 structurally compromised bridges 185 million times/day. About 1,900 are on the Interstate Highway System. State transportation departments have identifie
  • Winner Profile: iCITE Data Aggregator by Eberle Design Inc for traffic management
    May 21, 2019
    There is a global need for more intelligent traffic management and enhanced road safety, fuelled by data collection and the useful interpretation of that data into real-time information that provides for effective action by traffic engineers. The prevailing transportation paradigm, one-person-one-vehicle, is forcing the multimodal traffic infrastructure to its limits. With continuous congestion, longer commute times, and increased accidents, agencies are tasked with finding solutions without escalating thei
  • Leaner WIM enforcement through new solutions
    December 3, 2013
    Guy Woodford reports on a major new Weigh in Motion system, big WIM solution deals and how a leading firm in the sector is warning UK fleet operators to be aware of how leaner enforcement work is helping authorities detect more overloaded vehicles Kapsch TrafficCom announced its keenly awaited new Weigh in Motion (WIM) solution at this year’s ITS European Congress in Dublin, Ireland. The sector-renowned Austrian firm’s latest solution uses a number of sensors and loops to detect whether the vehicle exceeds
  • Changes to bridge project reviews in US will speed repairs
    November 28, 2012
    According to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), changes in the way the US Government reviews bridge projects could speed repairs. ARTBA has long-advocated this change, which could save US taxpayers an estimated US$78 million and reduce wait times for repair projects on more than 196,000 bridges in the country. The decision by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) will allow the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to streamline the historic preservation proces