Americans are known to love their cars, so it may not be surprising to learn that the widest highway in the world is across the Atlantic.

However, the title is disputed as some people say the winner has bent the rules to claim the world’s widest highway.

The Texas Katy Freeway is a stretch of Interstate 10, stretching from Anthony, New Mexico, all the way to Orange, Louisiana.

In a bold move to address notorious traffic congestion, the state expanded the Katy Freeway in Houston back in 2008, once named the second-worst traffic bottleneck in America by a highway group.

Fast forward to today, and the mayor of Houston proudly proclaims in his speeches that the city has “the widest freeway in the world.”

At just under 880 miles, the Texas portion of I-10, under the Texas Department of Transportation, holds the record as the longest continuous unpaid highway in North America operated by a single entity.

It also claims the title for the longest stretch of an Interstate Highway with a consistent designation within a state.

The colossal $2.8 billion (£2.2 billion) expansion project of the Katy Freeway ballooned to a staggering 26 lanes, if locals are to be believed.

This expansion would leave other US highways in the dust, such as I-75 through Atlanta, which has up to 15 lanes, and parts of I-405 in Los Angeles, which has 14 lanes.

Despite the expanded efforts, commuters on the Katy Freeway experienced an increase in travel times during rush hour, with morning trips increasing by 30% and evening commutes by a whopping 55%.

But the mayor’s impressive lane count also affects the freeway’s frontage roads, which some might argue don’t follow the rules. These additional access roads add eight lanes to the total count.