Chicago Ranks 1st in U.S. for Worst Traffic Bottleneck

Drivers wasted 16.9 million hours on the 12-mile stretch of the bottleneck

The slow crawl of traffic in the city that makes some drivers want to bang their heads against the steering wheel is now backed up with a new study.

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Chicago is ranked no. 1 for America’s worst traffic bottleneck, according to new research from the American Highway Users Alliance.

The top 50 list ranked the Kennedy Expressway (I-90) between the Jane Byrne Interchange (I-290) and Edens junction (I-94) as the worst Chicago choke point.

Research puts drivers’ frustration into real numbers with motorists wasting 16.9 million hours on the 12-mile stretch of the bottleneck with an estimated value of $418 million in 2014, according to the study.

Not only is time wasted, but gas too. More than 6 million gallons of gas just burned while drivers waited or crawled in the traffic on I-90.

The bottleneck pain is not just limited to that area.

The Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90) between the Stevenson Expressway (I-55) and West Pershing Road finished in the top half of the list with a 23rd ranking.

The Edens Expressway (I-94) between the Kennedy Expressway (I-90) interchange and North Elston Avenue ranked 46th.

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