The roads that make Atlanta drivers question their life choices

ATLANTA - If you work a regular 9-to-5, chances are you spend at least part of your day questioning your life choices while crawling through bumper-to-bumper traffic. But which rush-hour stretches make Georgians rethink everything?

Potamkin Hyundai, which has a dealership in Stone Mountain, polled 3,400 drivers nationwide to find out which highways bring out the most existential dread. Georgia’s top two offenders? The I-85/I-75 Downtown Connector and the I-285 Top End Perimeter (I-75 to I-85 Northside).

The Downtown Connector: Where Dreams Go to Idle

Drivers stuck on the Downtown Connector during rush hour get plenty of time to ponder deep, soul-searching questions, such as:

Do I really love my job… or do I just tolerate it for the health insurance?
Was buying a house worth this mortgage… and this traffic?
Should I move to a small town where the only traffic jam involves cows crossing the road?

With over a dozen lanes of gridlock, the Connector turns into a parking lot flanked by towering skyscrapers and exhaust fumes, offering commuters an immersive experience in what it feels like to be trapped in a dystopian car commercial—except no one is smiling, and no one is going anywhere.

RELATED: Georgia drivers some of the best-behaved in the US, study finds

The Top End Perimeter: The Highway of Regret

Meanwhile, drivers stuck on I-285’s Top End Perimeter spend their time questioning a different decision: Is cheaper rent outside the Perimeter really worth these hours of my life? The answer often comes after multi-mile backups and clock-watching sessions that feel longer than most Netflix series.

RELATED: Atlanta ranks among worst U.S. cities for driving, study finds

Atlanta: The Land of Traffic Nightmares

It’s no surprise that Atlanta claims six of the nation’s 20 worst bottlenecks. But if you’re thinking, wow, Atlanta traffic is awful!—just wait until you hear about the worst spots in the country.

RELATED: Atlanta interchanges are some of the worst traffic bottlenecks in the US, study finds

The Worst of the Worst

I-95/New Jersey Turnpike (Newark to George Washington Bridge)
New Jersey drivers stuck here frequently ask themselves why they’re paying steep tolls to sit in a never-ending jam. Some have even considered whether paddling across the Hudson River might be a more efficient commuting option.

I-495 Long Island Expressway (Queens & Long Island, New York)
New Yorkers lovingly refer to this road as the "LIE," which is fitting because calling it an expressway is one of the biggest lies in transportation history. The traffic crawls so slowly that drivers get hours to reflect on their poor life decisions, like why they ever thought moving to Long Island was a good idea.

I-95 Cross Bronx Expressway (New York, New York)
Often dubbed the most congested road in America, the Cross Bronx Expressway makes "express" feel like a cruel joke. At this point, GPS apps should just say, "You’ll get there when you get there."

So, next time you find yourself stuck on I-85, I-285, or any of Atlanta’s other legendary traffic nightmares, just know—you’re not alone. And hey, at least you’re not on the Cross Bronx Expressway.