With summer road trips on the horizon, travelers and daily commuters may run into dreaded bottlenecks causing traffic jams throughout the area. Construction sites, rubbernecking, irregular traffic lights and lane merging can contribute to the hold-up, ultimately costing both commuters, and the state, big bucks.
According to a 2016 report from TRIP, a national transportation research group, highway congestion creates 195 million hours of traffic delay each year, amounting to $4.1 billion in wasted fuel.
Traffic congestion can also slam a city’s reputation, affecting “the attractiveness of a location to a company considering expansion or relocation,” the report said.
Where's the worst congestion in Maryland?
Here are the top ten bottlenecks in our area, according to 2014 research from the Maryland State Highway Administration:
1. I-495 IL @ I-270 Spur -- Inner Loop
2. I-95 OL @ Greenbelt Metro Dr/Exit 24 -- Outer Loop
3. I-95 N @ MD-100/Exit 43 -- Northbound
4. I-270 Spur S @ I-270 -- Southbound
5. MD-295 N @ I-195 -- Northbound
6. MD-295 N @ MD-175 -- Northbound
7. I-695 OL @ Edmondson Ave/Exit 14 -- Outer Loop
8. I-695 IL @ I-795/Exit 19 -- Inner Loop
9. I-695 IL @ MD-147/Harford Rd/Exit 31 -- Inner Loop
10. MD-295 N @ MD-197/EXIT 111 -- Northbound
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