Colossal traffic jam in China

Drivers on the G4 Beijing-Hong Kong-Macau expressway near Hong Kong encountered a 50-lane traffic jam involving thousands of cars on Oct. 9. The jam occured when drivers returning home at the end of China’s “Golden Week” holiday (when an estimated 750 million drivers use China’s roads) encountered a newly installed toll plaza that reduced the number of lanes from 50 to 20.

Despite the enormity of the jam, it was far from China’s worst. In August 2010, roadwork caused a 60-mile traffic jam that left drivers stranded on the Beijing-Mongolia expressway for 10 days (Dec ’10, pg. 64).