Dubious distinction: Houston makes nation's top 10 list for truck bottlenecks

A national transportation group has given Houston the dubious distinction of making the nation's top 10 list of cities with the most truck bottlenecks, the Houston Chronicle reported.

According to the report by the American Transportation Institute, Houston's "litany of inconvenient interchanges" contribute to the unenviable distinction for Texas's largest city. The report added that Texas has the most truck bottlenecks with 14.

The Houston area accounts for 10 of the 14 that occur in Texas, the Chronicle said. Six of Houston's bottlenecks occur along Loop 610.

How to solve bottlenecks is a matter of debate. On one side, the Texas Department of Transportation urges widening while the other consists of critics who fear residents could be displaced and businesses could see their customer volume decreased.

“Texas is used to being ranked No. 1, but this is one list we are not proud  to be on top of,” Texas Trucking Association President and CEO John D. Esparza said in a news release. “Bottlenecks around the state continue to waste time and money, further damaging the already fragile supply chain. With the newly available federal resources for infrastructure projects, there is no excuse – these bottlenecks must be addressed. A reliable and stable transportation network is essential to our economy – just like the trucking industry.”