The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has released its 2026 Top 100 Truck Bottlenecks list, identifying the most congested freight bottlenecks on America’s highways — a critical dataset for policymakers and industry stakeholders as federal surface transportation programs are reauthorized.

This year, a fourth Pennsylvania location now appears on this national list, and all four bottlenecks are clustered in the Philadelphia area. Here’s how the Pennsylvania rankings changed from the 2025 to the 2026 report:

📍 Pennsylvania Bottlenecks on the 2026 Top 100 List

41. Philadelphia, PA: I-76 at I-676 — Previously ranked #34 in 2025. The improved ranking may signal that prior infrastructure investments in the corridor are beginning to yield measurable benefits for truck mobility.

58. Philadelphia, PA: I-76 at US 1 — Rank did not change in 2026 (#58).

63. Philadelphia, PA: I-476 at I-95 — Previously ranked #66 in 2025.  

97. Philadelphia, PA: I-76 at I476 (New 2026 Pennsylvania Bottleneck). A fourth Pennsylvania location has now entered the national Top 100. This new bottleneck represents growing freight congestion in the region.  

The increased ranking of Philadelphia, PA: I-76 at I-476 in the report reflects truck GPS data collected throughout 2025. During that period, the broader Schuylkill Expressway corridor experienced recurring construction activity, including bridge rehabilitation, paving, and periodic lane closures. Even when not directly at the I-476 interchange, work along I-76 can slow traffic at major merge points and reduce overall travel speeds. Because ATRI measures average truck speeds and delay over the full year, recurring construction impacts can push a location higher in the national rankings.

The good news is that these projects represent infrastructure investment in one of Pennsylvania’s most critical freight corridors. As construction is completed and traffic patterns stabilize, these improvements should help alleviate congestion and improve truck mobility in future ATRI reports.

The 2026 Rankings

The 2026 ATRI report, based on 2025 truck GPS data, shows a continued pattern of severe congestion in major freight corridors nationwide. Notably:

• Chicago’s I-294 at I-290/I-88 has reclaimed the number one spot as the nation’s most congested freight bottleneck, surpassing the long-running number one location in Fort Lee, New Jersey.
• Average rush-hour truck speeds across the top bottlenecks dropped to approximately 33.2 mph, about 2.8 % slower than the previous year, underscoring deteriorating operating conditions.
• The same major freight hubs — including Atlanta, Houston, Nashville, and Cincinnati — continue to dominate the national list, reflecting persistent and structural congestion across the U.S. highway system.

The 2026 Top Truck Bottleneck List measures the level of truck-involved congestion at more than 325 locations on the national highway system. The analysis, based on an extensive database of freight truck GPS data, uses several customized software applications and analysis methods, along with terabytes of data from trucking operations to produce a congestion impact ranking for each location. ATRI’s truck GPS data is also used to support the U.S. Department of Transportation Freight Mobility Initiative. The bottleneck locations detailed in this latest ATRI list represent the top 100 congested locations, although ATRI continuously monitors more than 325 freight-critical locations.

Why This Matters

Truck congestion isn’t just a travel delay — ATRI’s analysis translates these bottlenecks into real economic and environmental costs. Congestion delays equate to hundreds of thousands of drivers sitting idle for a year, billions of gallons of extra diesel burned, and tens of billions in added freight costs annually.

For the Pennsylvania trucking community, the addition of a fourth bottleneck in the Philadelphia region highlights both the scale of freight movement in the Northeast and the continuing need for targeted infrastructure investment that enhances freight fluidity, improves safety, and supports economic growth.

As Congress and state transportation agencies consider future funding and project priorities, ATRI’s data provides an objective roadmap showing where congestion is most severe and where strategic investments can make the biggest impact.

For access to the full 2026 ATRI Top 100 Truck Bottlenecks report and detailed location data, visit ATRI’s website.