This morning Metro Networks issued a list of the...
THE TOP TEN WORST HOLIDAY TRAFFIC TIE-UPS IN AMERICA
New York-Philadelphia-Washington, DC – Interstate 95. This corridor is easily the slowest 225 miles of highway during the holidays. The section from the Delaware Memorial Bridge to the George Washington Bridge is the worst of it.
Boston - Westbound Massachusetts Turnpike from downtown Boston to Interstate 84 in Sturbridge. This a 56-mile stretch that on the day before Thanksgiving has been known to completely back-up due to Interstate 84 serving as the main route south connecting Boston with the rest of the Eastern Seaboard.
Los Angeles – Both sides of Interstate 5 from the Grapevine through Orange County. Northbound gets tightly congested with holiday travelers heading to San Francisco, and beyond, while southbound lanes attract those heading towards San Diego and Tijuana.
Washington DC – Interstate 95 from Springfield, VA (just south of DC) through Fredericksburg, VA. This 30-mile stretch south of Washington DC experiences extensive delays on a regular basis, which are only amplified during the holiday season. 15-20 mile back ups are not uncommon during peak holiday travel times.
New York City- The Throgs Neck Bridge and Whitestone Bridge, both of which connect the Bronx and Queens. The two heavily traveled bridges are key choke points along the main artery connecting upstate New York, Connecticut and Long Island.
San Francisco - Eastbound Interstate 80 through Sacramento to Lake Tahoe. San Franciscans seeking “holiday weather” heavily travel this route to the nearby ski resorts and mountains.
Philadelphia - Northbound Interstate 476 from the NB Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike (PATP) from the Mid-County tolls up to Lansdale. This stretch of roadway can back up more than 12 miles as a result of motorists heading up to the Pocono Mountains for the holidays.
Miami - The Palmetto Expressway in both directions from Okeechobee Road to south of the Dolphin Expressway. The expressway serves as the Western border of Miami International Airport and to add to the holiday travel congestion, it is also currently under construction.
Dallas -East and Westbound 635 LBJ is already a heavily congested area in North Dallas, but with holiday shoppers flocking to Valley View mall, traffic really bogs down between 75 Central and I-35 E.
Detroit - Northbound I-75 and NB US-23, especially where they merge (near Flint). Extreme congestion occurs as cabin-owners and resort-seekers combine with hunters heading north during Michigan Firearm Deer Season (11/15-12/17/07).
Honorable Mentions
San Francisco Area- 101 NB from Golden Gate Bridge through Marin County
Washington, DC- The Inner Loop of the Capital Beltway, I-495. It is not unusual to find delays which begin in Merrifield, Virginia and extend to Landover, Maryland, some 30 miles away; nearly half the distance around the Beltway.
Atlanta – Interstate 285 (Perimeter Highway) in both directions between I-75 and I-85. This is a main route for shoppers heading to area malls creating massive congestion during the holiday season