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Seattle drivers wasted nearly 6 days sitting in traffic last year

Traffic isn't getting any better in Seattle. Drivers spent 138 hours, nearly 6 days, sitting in congestion in 2018.

Drivers spent 138 hours in Seattle traffic last year. To put that number in perspective, that's enough time to watch every season of Friends and take a round-trip drive from Seattle to Portland. 

Six days is a long time to sit through traffic but that's how long Kirkland-based INRIX said the average Seattle driver sat in congestion last year. 

The INRIX 2018 Global Traffic Scorecard said Americans spent 97 hours a year in traffic, a national average significantly lower than that of Seattle drivers. 

Seattle ranked higher than New York City and Los Angeles, two cities notorious for bad traffic congestion. 

It shouldn't come as a surprise that Seattle ranks so high - placing third on the nation's top 10 list. Traffic woes have increased in recent years as transplants move into the Puget Sound region, with thousands living outside of the citing and spending up to 90 minutes driving into Seattle for work. 

INRIX data says during Seattle's worst commutes, drivers traveled an average of 21 miles per hours. 

RELATED: New SR 99 downtown off-ramp opens for Tuesday morning commute

Wondering how Seattle compares to cities closer to home? Portland ranked 10, with drivers spending 116 hours last year in traffic. 

Could Seattle traffic get worse? Time will tell, but Seattle transportation officials have already braced for worsening conditions. 

Officials warn the "period of maximum constraint" could continue for years -- where a multitude of transportation and construction projects will impact congestion times. 

In addition to the viaduct closure, drivers will have to deal with construction at the Washington State Convention Center and Rainier Tower 2, the waterfront revitalization project, improvements at Coleman Dock, and additional buses on downtown Seattle surface streets. 

Back in September, SDOT said more than 60 construction cranes spread across the skyline. 

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