KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas — A significant segment of U.S. Highway 80 in Kaufman County has been flagged by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) as one of the most congested roadways in Texas. This designation underscores the challenges faced by Kaufman County as it grapples with rapid population growth, straining one of North Texas’s crucial commuter routes.
Key Findings from the 2024 Report
According to the Texas 100 Most Congested Roadways report, the segment of U.S. 80 from Collins Road (SH 352) to Pinson Road (FM 740) — covering a distance of 6.02 miles within TxDOT’s Dallas District 18 — has been ranked No. 40 among the state’s 100 most congested highway segments.
Key metrics for this corridor include:
Annual delay per mile: 302,748 person-hours
Total annual delay: ≈ 1,825,000 person-hours (6.02 mi × 302,748 hours)
Annual congestion cost: $49,711,068
Truck delay per mile: 23,409 person-hours
Truck congestion cost: $9,617,148
These statistics indicate that drivers collectively lose over 1.8 million hours per year due to traffic congestion on this brief stretch, equating to approximately $50 million in economic losses from wasted time, fuel, and productivity.
The complete methodology and statewide rankings can be explored in the TxDOT/TTI 2024 report.
Historical Trend: Congestion Getting Worse
The same corridor was ranked No. 78 in 2023, as per the 2023 TTI Top 100 Congested Roadways study, indicating that Highway 80 has risen nearly forty spots in just a year.
TTI researchers noted that statewide congestion increased approximately 16 percent year-over-year from 2022 to 2023, driven by the resurgence of post-pandemic traffic volumes and ongoing regional growth. The 2022 TTI mobility summary reported that all-vehicle delays surged 72 percent from 2020, nearing pre-COVID levels.
This statewide trend, coupled with Highway 80’s rapid ascent in ranking, suggests that congestion in the Forney–Mesquite corridor is worsening more quickly than many other major Texas routes.
Local and Economic Impacts
For commuters in Kaufman County, the data reflect their daily reality: a limited-access highway that now operates as a congested urban expressway. With 300,000 person-hours of delay per mile, Highway 80 stands out as one of the most time-intensive corridors in North Texas.
The TTI analysis assigns a monetary value to each hour lost, accounting for both passenger and freight costs. The result — nearly $50 million annually — reflects lost commuting time, increased delivery costs, and diminished logistics reliability.
Truck traffic alone contributes approximately $9.6 million per year in economic impact, underscoring the burden borne by freight. With new industrial and warehouse developments emerging east of Dallas, the congestion on U.S. 80 has direct repercussions for regional commerce.
Growth, Safety, and Planning
Kaufman County continues to be one of Texas’s fastest-growing counties, adding over 10,000 residents annually. As new subdivisions develop between Forney, Sunnyvale, and Terrell, Highway 80 has become a vital artery for workers commuting west toward Dallas.
TxDOT has initiated multiple improvement projects at various stages of planning to widen and modernize Highway 80 throughout Kaufman County. These projects include upgrades to interchanges and potential extensions of frontage roads aimed at alleviating bottlenecks. Further details are anticipated in upcoming updates to the TxDOT Unified Transportation Program (UTP).
Why It Matters
From an infrastructure and policy perspective:
Highway 80’s No. 40 statewide ranking places it in league with urban interstates like I-35 in Austin and the Woodall Rodgers Freeway in Dallas.
The 300,000 person-hours of delay per mile mean that even minor efficiency improvements could yield millions in annual savings.
The truck delay data emphasize a growing freight-mobility challenge affecting industrial development and supply-chain reliability east of Dallas.
The documented congestion levels provide a solid evidentiary basis for environmental reviews, zoning hearings, or public-funding justifications related to mobility and safety enhancements.
