The annual report recently showed an increase in congested highways and streets in 2021, with 20 of the top 100 located locally.
The report started in 2009 and rates the 100 busiest segments of roadways in the state with a study looking at congestion and the delay it costs in terms of time spent stuck in gridlock. There were 1,860 roadways in 23 urban areas that were reviewed during the study—funded by the Texas Department of Transportation—which looked at how much longer drivers were on the road in traffic jams compared to noncongested conditions.
The delays have a large financial impact. According to research, a total of $3.8 billion was lost between wasted fuel and lost time in 2021. Truck congestion costs were $620 million.
The 2021 numbers showed an increase, but the report stated the COVID-19 effects still had conditions below the prepandemic congestion. The West Loop in Houston was the most gridlocked stretch in 2021 for the second year in a row, and eight of the top 10 remained unchanged from the previous two years. Researchers emphasized traffic will eventually return to familiar intensity as the state’s population grows and its economy recovers, according to a press release.
“Traffic congestion isn’t just a big-city problem, and that problem is almost sure to get worse as our population surges by almost 20 million in the next 25 years,” said David Schrank, the TTI’s lead researcher on the annual study. “With that kind of growth, Texas needs to use every possible means to keep people and goods moving. We need to add capacity, operate the system efficiently and give people options for how to travel.”
The Dallas-Fort Worth area accounted for 37 of the top 100 busiest roadways—up from 34 in 2021. Dallas County lays claim to 20 of the top 100 busiest roadways in Texas, including three in the top 10. Woodall Rodgers Freeway between US 75 and North Beckley Avenue took the No. 2 spot in the state causing more than 1 million hours of delays and more than $34.2 million lost due to congestion. That was followed by sections of US 75, I-345 and I-45 between US 75 and US 175, which came in at No. 7, and US 75 between I-635 and Woodall Rodgers Freeway, which came in at No. 9.
Explore the 100 busiest roadways in Texas below.
