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

  • Work zone safety solution on busy world highways
    December 3, 2013
    Globally renowned highway work zone safety solution manufacturers have been providing some of their latest systems to protect roadworkers and motorists on high volume traffic highways. Guy Woodford reports Versilis has provided one of its state-of-the-art work zone safety solutions during the rehabilitation of North America’s busiest highway. The Canadian road safety product innovator and manufacturer was retained by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) to install automated traffic control
  • Use 3D modelling to advance sustainable highway construction best practices
    April 30, 2025
    When it comes to advancing highway sustainability, the role of 3D modeling and digital technologies in road construction is becoming ever-more important. Anna Liza Montenegro, director of marketing at Microsol Resources explains why your business needs to get involved now.
  • US bridges needing repair or replacement
    September 13, 2024
    Nearly 221,800 US bridges are needing repair or replacement.
  • PTV’s novel traffic analysis system
    April 25, 2013
    German traffic analysis consultant and software maker PTV, which produces the well-known Visum and Vissim strategic traffic analysis and micro-simulation tools, has launched a new assessment tool aimed at studying traffic impact of new developments. PTV Vistro is claimed to be the first all-in­ one-solution for transport analysis and signal optimisation, an easy-to-use software that can be used to conduct traffic studies which are often a mandatory part of development applications and planning approvals.