Beltway/I-270 Bottleneck is Nation's 7th Worst

WASHINGTON - If your commute takes you on the Capital Beltway and the Interstate 270 Interchange in Montgomery County, you already know it's quite a bottleneck.

The bottleneck accounts for 19 million hours of delays every year.

Forbes Magazine says the I-495 and I-270 Interchange is the nation's seventh worst bottleneck, based on 2004 estimates from the America Highway Users Alliance. It was No. 16 in 1999.

The federal Department of Transportation says the U.S. loses $168 billion a year because of highway congestion.

America's worst bottleneck is the U.S. 101 and Interstate 405 Interchange in Los Angeles. It causes 27 million plus hours of delays each year.

12 Worst Traffic Traps

1. Los Angeles: U.S. 101 and I-405 Interchange
2. Houston: I-610 and I-10 Interchange
3. Chicago: I-90/94 and I-290 Interchange
4. Phoenix: I-10 and S.R.-51 Interchange
5. Los Angeles: I-405 and I-10 Interchange
6. Atlanta: I-75 and I-85 Interchange
7. D.C.: I-495 and I-270 Interchange
8. Los Angeles: I-10 and I-5 Interchange
9. Los Angeles: I-405 and I-605 Interchange
10. Atlanta: I-285 and I-85 Interchange
11. Chicago: I-94 and I-90 Interchange
12. Phoenix: I-17 and I-10 Interchange

Source: Forbes

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