New Jersey’s roads have not made it easier for truck drivers to reach where they need it during the holidays and beyond.

In a new report, it is pointed out that vehicle travel is approaching pre-pandemic levels. A place in New Jersey is known as the largest truck bottleneck in the United States, and a major highway that passes directly through Garden State is listed as the country’s major highway. Road freight is the least reliable.

A report by TRIP, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC, recommends that states make additional investments beyond federal funds to minimize supply chain disruption and improve the efficiency of the U.S. freight network.

"Transportation—especially freight transportation—is the lifeblood of economic growth and progress," said Jerry Keenan, chairman of the New Jersey Action Coalition. "Investing in New Jersey's transportation infrastructure will help alleviate bottlenecks while improving efficiency and conditions."

The report pointed out that truck congestion will affect delivery time and increase the cost of goods and services. In New Jersey, the freight system transports $972 billion worth of goods each year, of which 73% is transported by truck.

According to the report, the average driving speed of I-95 and Route 4 at Fort Lee near the George Washington Bridge is 36.5 mph, which is the worst traffic congestion for truck freight.

"This is not surprising, because the most unreliable freight corridor is I-95, which passes through New Jersey," said Rocky Moretti, TRIP policy and research director.

According to the report, along Interstate 95 from Virginia to Connecticut, travel time is 75% longer on busy days compared to normal traffic days.

“Highway bottlenecks cause more than 75 billion U.S. dollars in losses to the trucking industry each year, leading to recent surges in inflation and reducing supply chain efficiency,” said Bill Sullivan, executive vice president of advocacy for the American Trucking Association.

The Infrastructure Investment and Employment Act, signed into law in November, will provide $304 billion in funding for highways, roads, and bridges nationwide over the next five years. New Jersey's federal funding for highway improvements will increase by 41%.

Contact reporter Dino Flammia at dino.flammia@townsquaremedia.com.