ATLANTA — According to a new survey by the American Transportation Research Institute, three of the 10 worst bottlenecks in the nation are here in metro Atlanta.
It's easy to figure out where the trouble spots are if you stop and think about them:
At No.7, the Interstate 20 exit at the Westside Perimeter.
For traffic coming into Atlanta from the west, it's not unusual for slowdowns to begin before the Chattahoochee River bridge, approaching Fulton Industrial Boulevard - a full two-and-a-half miles before the 285 exit ramps.
For eastbound traffic trying to exit to 285 northbound, there is a tight, one-lane cloverleaf turn that forces all traffic to slow down to make it safely.
Northbound traffic on I-285 drops to a single lane making a left-hand turn, which can fool many drivers unfamiliar with the exit. That ramp merges with a single lane coming from southbound 285, which forces all motorists to slow down.
As a result, the average speed through the exit during the evening rush hour drops to 36.4 mph, according to the ATRI's data. During non-peak hours, the average speed for traffic is 42.6 mph.
Close behind, at No.5 is the "Cobb Cloverleaf," where I-75 and I-285 meet near Truist Park, on the northwest side.
Multiple fly-over ramps for traffic going to and from both interstates slows things down considerably to begin with.
Now, traffic in that area has become even more confusing for motorists unfamiliar with the local traffic patterns, since the addition of reversible entrance and exit ramps for the I-75 Express Lanes - or as some motorists have nicknamed them, the "Toller-coaster" lanes.
The average off-peak speed for the Cobb Cloverleaf is 40.5 mph, according to the ATRI, while during rush-hours, the average speed for the exit averages 29.2 mph.
During rush-hours, northbound slowdowns on I-285 can stretch back to Paces Ferry Road or beyond, while westbound traffic approaching I-75 usually begins before the Chattahoochee River bridge. Similarly, delays on I-75 can begin going northbound before the river, while southbound delays can start before Windy Hill Road.
At the top of the local heap for motorists - and without surprise - is the Spaghetti Junction exit between I-85 and I-285 on the city's northeast side.
That exit ranks No.2 in the nation, behind only the approach to the George Washington Bridge in northern New Jersey.
Northbound traffic on I-85 commonly slows before Shallowford Road while it is not unusual for southbound traffic on I-85 to slow down before it gets to Pleasantdale Road. At times, it can even slow down at around Jimmy Carter Boulevard.
On I-285, eastbound traffic begins to slow between Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and Buford Highway, while northbound traffic usually begins to crawl before Chamblee Tucker Road.
Average speeds through Spaghetti Junction also reflect this. During rush hours, the peak average is about 22.4 mph, according to ATRI's data. Their data regarding the non-peak average speed indicates a speed of 40.2 mph.
In addition to these three bottlenecks, when looking at the remainder of the 100 worst trouble spots around the nation, four other metro Atlanta spots are listed:
- I-20 at I-285 on the east side is at No.24;
- The Downtown interchange between I-20 and I-75/85 is at No.48;
- The Henry County slowdown on I-75 between Ga. 20/81 and McDonough Road is at No.62
- The I-75/85 Brookwood split is at No.71.
The ATRI hopes that by supplying this data to states, it can help motorists avoid some of these bottlenecks when and where possible.
In addition, they point to their highlighting of the Jane Byrne Interchange in downtown Chicago, which was number one on their national listing for three consecutive years.
ATRI says they feel this helped contribute to the state of Illinois' decision to work on a multi-million dollar reconstruction project on that interchange which, when completed in 2022, will help reduce congestion and improve freight mobility through that region.
In comparison, this year, Chicago's Jane Byrne Interchange has fallen to No.6 on their national listing -- behind two of Atlanta's exit hot spots.
50 years of I-285
MORE HEADLINES |