Any experienced transportation professional can easily discuss their frustrations with our country’s frequent highway congestion. Long hours stuck in traffic are not uncommon experiences while on the road.

Recognizing this common problem, in 2009, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) and the Federal government conducted their “2009 Bottleneck Analysis of 100 Freight Significant Highways Locations” study. To gather data, the team used GPS-based technology to study chokepoints in 100 U.S. cities, where freight deliveries were slowed by heavy traffic.

Their findings?

Highway traffic is a problem when trucking freight, and rush hour presents the greatest delays.

No shocking revelation there — but, when you dig deeper into the research, the study offers some important perspectives on how to improve traffic control for transportation professionals.

The data is currently being released to shippers and state Departments of Transportation (DOT) nationwide and the ATRI and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) hope individuals and companies involved in trucking freight will use the information to plan routes that bypass congested corridors at their worst times. They also encourage DOTs to apply the results to help identify what roads are most in need of repair or expansion.

To further share their findings, the FWHA recently launched a new online tool, Freight Performance Measures, Site visitors can subscribe to view the study’s results, which include details on the average speed freight was moving throughout 2009 on each of the 100 researched highways.

And considering that Chicago had the first AND second most-congested roads with Interstates 90 and 94, here’s hoping the Illinois DOT are the first ones to subscribe.

But would do you think:

Will the study’s findings help drivers avoid traffic?

Is Chicago really the most congested area in the country?

Are there any highways you go out of your way to avoid?