Chinese Roadways: World’s Longest Traffic Jam and a 50 Lane Toll Plaza

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The longest traffic jam in recorded history occurred in August 2010 on China National Highway 110 and the Beijing-Tibet Expressway. Triggered by massive construction work combined with a high volume of heavy coal trucks, the gridlock stretched over 100 kilometers (62 miles) and lasted for 12 days. Thousands of drivers barely moved a kilometer per day.

The situation was so severe that a makeshift mini-economy emerged along the highway, with local entrepreneurs bicycling in to sell bottled water, instant noodles, and snacks at heavily inflated prices to stranded motorists.

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Locals near the highway sold various goods like water, instant noodles, and cigarettes at inflated prices to the stranded drivers.[3][10] A bottle of water normally cost 1 yuan, but on the highway it was sold for 15 yuan. Drivers also complained that the price of instant noodles had more than tripled.[12] Some vendors created mobile stores on bicycles.[12]

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he "50-lane highway" in China is a viral, frequently shared image showing a massive toll plaza on the G4 Beijing–Hong Kong–Macau Expressway near Zhuozhou, south of Beijing. It is actually roughly 25-50 toll lanes (depending on count/time) that funnel traffic from a wider area back into 4-5 lanes, frequently causing extreme congestion during holidays like Golden Week.

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