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After 12 agonising days, the world’s longest traffic jam was finally cleared on August 26, 2010.
Vehicles in a traffic jam (Representational Image)
For most office-goers in bustling metropolitan cities like Noida and Gurugram, traffic jams are an unavoidable daily nuisance. In these areas, one often finds themselves leaving home at the crack of dawn, hoping to beat the inevitable congestion and make it to work, appointments, or even flights on time. Yet, no matter how long the wait seems, the worst traffic jam in Delhi-NCR pales in comparison to a monstrous gridlock that occurred on the Beijing-Tibet Expressway in 2010 – a traffic jam that lasted for an astonishing 12 days.
Imagine being trapped in your car not for a few hours, but for a grueling 12 days, with little to no movement, and unable to get to your destination. This was the unfortunate reality for thousands of motorists who found themselves caught in what became the longest traffic jam in history. Spanning more than 100 kilometres, the jam was so severe that it brought life to a complete standstill for over a week.
This extraordinary trafiic nightmare began on August 14, 2010 while roadwork was ongoing on the expressway, and heavy vehicles were navigating through the construction zone. Coal-carrying trucks and those transporting construction materials from Mongolia to Beijing became a part of the traffic bottleneck. The situation worsened as several of these trucks broke down, further obstructing the already congested road. What was already a partially closed expressway due to construction turned into a chaotic mess when these trucks, along with their mechanical failures, formed an impassable barrier.
As the days wore on, the stranded vehicles became an insurmountable obstacle, trapping thousands of drivers and passengers. With no clear resolution in sight, those stuck in the jam were forced to sleep in their vehicles, endure long stretches without food, and simply wait for an end to their ordeal. What began as an inconvenience turned into a daily struggle for survival.
In response to the unprecedented gridlock, the authorities swiftly moved to halt traffic on alternative routes. The first priority was to remove the stranded trucks, which slowly allowed the flow of traffic to resume. However, the sheer scale of the situation made the clearance a daunting task, requiring coordinated efforts from multiple sectors to clear the expressway.
After 12 agonising days, the world’s longest traffic jam was finally cleared on August 26, 2010. The efforts to restore normalcy on the Beijing-Tibet Expressway were a monumental undertaking, highlighting the incredible toll such a traffic crisis can take on both people and infrastructure.
