Yahoo Autos 10 Worst Traffic Jams In History
You might think holiday traffic over here might be bad, but imagine sitting amidst a sea of cars spread across 50 lanes of congestion, brought to a standstill for hours on end. That’s what Reuters reported with China suffering one of the worst backups on record earlier this month on the Beijing-Hong Kong-Macau Expressway.
As shocking as that spectacle is, that’s not even close to being worst highway congestion, neither in China nor in the world. We’re featuring a look back at what are arguably the 10 other worst tie-ups of all time from across the globe–all are epic standstills for which commuting became camping and roadways were reduced to parking lots.
Beijing, China: August 2010
Imagine being trapped in a 62-mile long traffic jam that lasted for an incredible 12 days. That just what happened to the poor folks attempting to traverse the Beijing-Tibet expressways in August of 2010, for which the trip took as long as three days. This all-time tie-up was simply the result of too many vehicles clogging the road, particularly a bevy of heavy trucks carrying construction supplies into Beijing, ironically for road work that was intended to help ease congestion.
Bethel, New York: August 1969
This three-day tie-up over August 15-18, 1969 was caused by more than 500,000 revelers descending on Max Yasgur’s famous farm for the Woodstock Music & Arts Festival. The New York Thruway became a stranglehold for more than 20 miles, with many eventually abandoning their cars and hoofing it to enjoy “three days of peace and music.” Performers had to be flown to and from the site in helicopters.
Chicago, Illinois: February 2011
Over 20 inches of snow fell on the Windy City on February 1, 2011 in a mid-winter blizzard that hit during the evening rush hour. The most unfortunate commuters were those headed northbound on Lake Shore Drive, where traffic was slowed, then halted, stranding motorists for more than 12 hours in drifting snow that reached almost as high as the cars’ windshields.
East/West Germany: April 1990
With the Berlin Wall having recently fallen, the Easter holiday saw a massive influx of Germans eager to reconnect with friends and family members. The ensuing backup on April 12,1990 was estimated at a whopping 18 million cars on a roadway that otherwise averages a half million vehicles a day. That’s a lot of Ladas.
