Traffic Jam: OH Home To 2nd Most Congested Intersection

OHIO — For many Buckeye State residents, it won't be a shock to see an Ohio intersection on a list of "most congested junctions in America."

The I-71 at I-75 junction in Cincinnati was rated the second-worst bottleneck in America, by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), which measures levels of truck-involved congestion at more than 300 locations across the national highway system. According to ATRI, the average speed at that southern Ohio junction was 44 mph.

Three other Ohio junctions earned a "bad bottleneck" designation: I-71/I-75 at I-274 (71st worst in the nation); and I-75 at I-74 in Cincinnati (96th worst in the nation). The average speed at each junction was sub-55 mph, according to ATRI.

Last year's rankings also included I-71 at I-70 in Columbus (then the 67th worst in the nation), but that junction fell off this year's list.

• Read more: Structurally Deficient Bridges: 1,334 Found In Ohio: Report

ATRI compiles the congestion impact ranking using GPS data from more than 1 million freight trucks, along with several customized software applications and analysis methods, and terabytes of data from trucking operations.

The data also is used to support the U.S. Department of Transportation's Freight Mobility Initiative, institute officials said.

In addition, the analysis that was pulled from 2021 data found that traffic levels across the country rebounded as more Americans returned to work and demand for consumer goods and services bounced back following the early months of the pandemic. The result was bottlenecking in supply chains, ATRI President and CEO Chris Spear said.

"ATRI's bottleneck list is a roadmap for federal and state administrators responsible for prioritizing infrastructure investments throughout the country," Spear said. "Every year, ATRI's list highlights the dire needs for modernizing and improving our roads and bridges. We have seen, most recently in Pittsburgh, that the cost of doing nothing could also cost lives. It's time to fund these projects and get our supply chains moving again."

What are the worst intersections and junctions in Ohio? Did the list miss one? Tell us on social media and in the comments below!