If you thought the gridlock on your morning commute was bad, get a load of some of the worldwide traffic jams people have endured. We may talk a lot about greening up the globe by encouraging cycling, walking and public transit, but people everywhere love their cars. More and more of us are driving, and roadworks simply can’t keep up with the ever-increasing demands. Throw a bad storm, natural disaster or national holiday into the mix and things often crawl to a standstill. Here are some roadways that couldn’t handle the flow, resulting in chaotic congestion that would make anyone trapped behind the wheel blow a gasket.
1. Beijing
They say 750 million travelers take to the roads on Chinese holidays like National Day and Lunar New Year, and the highways simply can’t take it. Even the colossal 2,273km long fifty lane Beijing-Hong Kong-Macau Expressway was clogged to a standstill during Golden Week this past October. The fifty lanes had to merge down to twenty to get through a toll, and the result was carmageddon.
2. Moscow to St. Petersburg
Highway M-10 is one of Russia’s busiest roads, linking Moscow and St. Petersburg. On November 30, 2012, a snowstorm led to epic mayhem on this road. Vehicles were at a standstill for 3 long days while workers struggled to repair the road and get the flow moving again. The delay went on so long that authorities even had to set up tents to provide amenities to drivers trapped in the jam.
3. Sao Paulo
Brazil’s largest city is famous for some of the worst traffic on the planet. Its booming economy has increased its greater area’s population to well over 20 million, and it is said the average commute takes about four hours. One ridiculous traffic jam occurred on June 10, 2009, which stretched a whopping 182 miles long.
