In August 2010, China experienced one of the most infamous traffic jams in history, stretching over 100 kilometers on the National Highway 110 and the Beijing-Tibet expressway.

The gridlock, which lasted 12 days, saw vehicles moving as little as one kilometer per day. The jam was primarily caused by road maintenance on the heavily trafficked highway, combined with a surge in coal transportation from Inner Mongolia to Beijing, a result of China’s rapid economic expansion and increasing energy demands.

Experts pointed to the massive increase in vehicle usage as a contributing factor. “Traffic on this road has grown by 40% annually over the past few years,” noted a transportation analyst, highlighting the strain on China’s infrastructure. The jam also reflected the country’s reliance on coal, which accounted for 70% of its energy needs at the time. As one driver remarked, “We are stuck for days because there’s no better route for coal trucks. It’s chaos.”

Meanwhile, stranded drivers faced steep challenges, with local vendors inflating prices for necessities. “A bottle of water that usually costs 1 yuan was being sold for 10 yuan,” reported one eyewitness. Drivers passed the time playing chess, walking around, and sleeping, as authorities scrambled to ease the situation by redirecting trucks and opening alternative routes.

This historic traffic jam underscored the growing pains of China’s rapid development, with infrastructure struggling to keep pace with the country’s booming economy.