Waymo suspends highway trips due to failures of its robotaxis in construction zones.

Waymo has decided to suspend the service of its robotaxis on highways in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Miami while it improves the performance of its vehicles in construction zones. The company confirmed the measure and stated that it is integrating new technical learnings into its software to soon resume these routes.

For now, the driverless cars continue to operate on regular streets in those cities. This pause on highways adds to the recent decision to halt operations in Atlanta and San Antonio, Texas, due to issues with flooded streets.

The firm had announced last week a software recall to avoid flooded areas in San Antonio, where the service has been halted for weeks. In Atlanta, at least one robotaxi got stuck this week, which led to the suspension of all operations there as well.

Challenges in Expansion

These inconveniences come at a crucial time for Waymo, which aims to grow significantly this year into new cities around the world. Its goal is to offer up to a million paid rides per week by the end of 2026. Additionally, the company is testing its new robotaxi built by Zeekr, called Ojai, which is expected to start transporting passengers in the coming months.

Highway rides began in late 2025 and were fundamental for expansion in large metropolitan areas. They allow for better connections for users with local airports and significantly shorten travel times by avoiding regular streets.

In the Bay Area, for example, highway trips drastically reduced times that could previously take between 45 minutes and over an hour. This marks an important advance in autonomous mobility, although technical challenges continue to arise.

Waymo did not mention a specific incident that prompted the current suspension on highways. However, there have been cases where its vehicles faced difficulties in construction zones.

Reported Incidents

On May 19, a user on X shared a video where a robotaxi drove through traffic cones. According to the account, the vehicle was pursued by the police after the incident.

These problems highlight the challenges faced by autonomous technology in unpredictable environments such as construction sites or adverse weather conditions. Despite advancements, the systems still require constant adjustments to ensure safety.

The company is working to incorporate the lessons learned from these events to strengthen its fleet. Meanwhile, users in the affected cities must opt for alternative routes on local streets.

Waymo's progress represents a significant step in the transportation industry, but it also shows that large-scale implementation demands robust solutions to real-life daily situations.

The ability to quickly adapt to these obstacles will be key for robotaxis to establish themselves as a reliable and widespread option in cities.