China National Highway 110 traffic jam
The China National Highway 110 traffic jam was a recurring[1] traffic jam that began to form on 14 August 2010, mostly on China National Highway 110 (G110) and the Beijing–Tibet expressway (G6), in Hebei and Inner Mongolia.[2][3] The traffic jam slowed thousands of vehicles for more than 100 kilometers (60 mi)* and lasted for 12 days.[3][4][5] Many drivers were able to move their vehicles only 1 km (0.6 mi) per day, and some drivers reported being stuck in the traffic jam for five days.[5] It is considered to be the longest traffic jam in recorded history.[6][7][8]
Cause
Traffic on the China National Highway 110 had grown 40 percent every year, in the previous several years, making the highway chronically congested.[5] The traffic volume at the time of the incident was 60% more than the design capacity.[9]
The cause of the traffic jam was reported to be a spike in traffic by heavy trucks heading to Beijing, along with National Highway 110's maintenance work that began five days later.[3] The road construction which reduced the road capacity by 50%[2] contributed heavily to the traffic jam and was not due to be completed until mid-September.[5] Police reported that minor breakdowns and accidents were compounding the problem.[10]
Greatly increased coal production in Inner Mongolia was transported to Beijing along this route because of the lack of railway capacity, which overloaded the highway.[11] 602 million tons of coal were mined and transported in 2009; production was expected to rise to 730 million tons in 2010.[11] An additional factor is efforts by overloaded trucks that lacked proper paperwork for their cargo to avoid a coal quality supervision and inspection station on China National Highway 208.[11]
Effect and end
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]
Authorities tried to speed up traffic by allowing more trucks to enter Beijing, especially at night. They also asked trucking companies to suspend operations or take alternative routes.[12]
By 26 August 2010, the traffic jam had largely dissipated, reportedly due to the efforts of authorities.[13] Between Beijing and Inner Mongolia, only minor traffic slowdowns were reported near toll booths.[13]
References
- ^ "Monster traffic jam ... again" article by He Dan and Wang Qian in the China Daily Updated: 4 September 2010 07:35, accessed 4 September 2010
- ^ a b "京藏高速多路段堵车 110国道施工致通行力降50%". Tianjin net. People's Daily Online. 27 August 2010. Archived from the original on 4 September 2010. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
- ^ a b c d "China's nine-day traffic jam stretches 100km". AFP. 23 August 2010. Archived from the original on 25 August 2010. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
- ^ "世界惊奇中国高速大堵车(The world is surprised by Chinese highway massive traffic jam)". Xinhua international. Xinhua. 25 August 2010. Archived from the original on 28 August 2010. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
- ^ a b c d Chang, Anita (24 August 2010). "China traffic jam stretching 100 kilometres could last for weeks". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 26 August 2010. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
- ^ "Chinese drivers stuck in the longest traffic jam". Peter Foster. The Daily Telegraph. 24 August 2010. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
- ^ "Gridlock is a way of life for Chinese". Jonathan Watts. The Guardian. 24 August 2010. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
- ^ "China's 10-day traffic jam "longest ever"". Ananth Krishnan. The Hindu. 24 August 2010. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
- ^ "限行致京藏高速堵车:110国道车流超设计流量6成". 新京报. Sohu.com. 19 August 2010. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
- ^ a b Ford, Peter (24 August 2010). "China traffic jam enters Day 11. A tale of deceit and criminality?". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
- ^ a b c "Bottlenecks Clog Northern Artery" 14 September 2010 08:15:51, China Daily, Web Editor: Jiang Aitao, accessed 14 September 2010; Original article at China Daily, accessed 14 September 2010
- ^ a b c "China's massive traffic jam could last for weeks". CTV. 24 August 2010. Archived from the original on 28 August 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
- ^ a b "China traffic jam vanishes overnight?". The Christian Science Monitor. 26 August 2011. Archived from the original on 20 January 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.