View source for China National Highway 110 traffic jam

{{Short description|Ten day long traffic obstruction}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
The '''China National Highway 110 traffic jam''' was a recurring<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2010-09/04/content_11255653.htm "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</ref> [[traffic jam]] that began to form on 14 August 2010, mostly on [[China National Highway 110|China National Highway 110 (G110)]] and the [[China National Expressway 6|Beijing–Tibet expressway (G6)]], in [[Hebei]] and [[Inner Mongolia]].<ref name='people0'>{{cite news|title=京藏高速多路段堵车 110国道施工致通行力降50% |date=27 August 2010 |publisher=[[People's Daily|People's Daily Online]] |url=http://society.people.com.cn/GB/1062/12508276.html |work=Tianjin net |access-date=30 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100904043834/http://society.people.com.cn/GB/1062/12508276.html |archive-date=4 September 2010 }}</ref><ref name='AFP Story'>{{cite news|title=China's nine-day traffic jam stretches 100km |date=23 August 2010 |url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100823/sc_afp/chinaroadtraffic |work=AFP |access-date=24 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100825182702/http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100823/sc_afp/chinaroadtraffic |archive-date=25 August 2010 }}</ref> The traffic jam slowed thousands of vehicles for more than {{convert|100|km|mi|-1|abbr=|sp=us}} and lasted for 12 days.<ref name='AFP Story'/><ref name='Xinhua0'>{{cite news | title = 世界惊奇中国高速大堵车(The world is surprised by Chinese highway massive traffic jam) | date = 25 August 2010 | publisher = Xinhua | work = [[Xinhua News Agency|Xinhua]] international | url = http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2010-08/25/c_12482708.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100828023510/http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2010-08/25/c_12482708.htm | url-status = dead | archive-date = 28 August 2010 | access-date = 30 August 2010}}</ref><ref name='Globe and Mail'>{{cite news|first=Anita |last=Chang |title=China traffic jam stretching 100 kilometres could last for weeks |date=24 August 2010 |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/asia-pacific/china-traffic-jam-stretching-100-kilometres-could-last-for-weeks/article1683094/ |work=The Globe and Mail |access-date=24 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100826082536/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/asia-pacific/china-traffic-jam-stretching-100-kilometres-could-last-for-weeks/article1683094/ |archive-date=26 August 2010 }}</ref> Many drivers were able to move their vehicles only 1&nbsp;km (0.6&nbsp;mi) per day, and some drivers reported being stuck in the traffic jam for five days.<ref name='Globe and Mail'/> It is considered to be the longest traffic jam in recorded history.<ref name='telegraph0'>{{cite news | title = Chinese drivers stuck in the longest traffic jam | date = 24 August 2010 | publisher = [[The Daily Telegraph]] | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/7961325/Chinese-drivers-stuck-in-the-longest-traffic-jam.html | work = Peter Foster | access-date = 30 August 2010}}</ref><ref name='guardian0'>{{cite news | title = Gridlock is a way of life for Chinese | date = 24 August 2010 | publisher = [[The Guardian]] | url = https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/aug/24/china-60-mile-motorway-tailback | work = Jonathan Watts | access-date = 30 August 2010}}</ref><ref name='hindu0'>{{cite news | title = China's 10-day traffic jam "longest ever" | date = 24 August 2010 | publisher = [[The Hindu]] | url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article592015.ece | work = Ananth Krishnan | access-date = 30 August 2010}}</ref>
==Cause==
Traffic on the [[China National Highway 110]] had grown 40 percent every year, in the previous several years, making the highway chronically congested.<ref name='Globe and Mail'/> The traffic volume at the time of the incident was 60% more than the design capacity.<ref name='sohu0'>{{cite news | title = 限行致京藏高速堵车:110国道车流超设计流量6成 | date = 19 August 2010 | publisher = [[Sohu.com]] | url = http://news.sohu.com/20100819/n274312074.shtml | work = 新京报 | access-date = 30 August 2010}}</ref>
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.<ref name='AFP Story'/> The road construction which reduced the road capacity by 50%<ref name='people0'/> contributed heavily to the traffic jam and was not due to be completed until mid-September.<ref name='Globe and Mail'/> Police reported that minor breakdowns and accidents were compounding the problem.<ref name='Christian Science Monitor'>{{cite news | first = Peter | last = Ford | title = China traffic jam enters Day 11. A tale of deceit and criminality? | date = 24 August 2010 | url = http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2010/0824/China-traffic-jam-enters-Day-11.-A-tale-of-deceit-and-criminality | work = Christian Science Monitor | access-date = 24 August 2010}}</ref>
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.<ref name="cri">[https://archive.today/20130118083337/http://english.cri.cn/6909/2010/09/14/189s594343.htm "Bottlenecks Clog Northern Artery"] 14 September 2010 08:15:51, ''China Daily'', Web Editor: Jiang Aitao, accessed 14 September 2010; [http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/usa/2010-09/14/content_11300113.htm Original article at China Daily], accessed 14 September 2010</ref> 602 million tons of coal were mined and transported in 2009; production was expected to rise to 730 million tons in 2010.<ref name="cri" /> 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]].<ref name="cri" />
==Effect and end==
Locals near the highway sold various goods like water, [[instant noodles]], and cigarettes at [[Price gouging|inflated prices]] to the stranded drivers.<ref name='AFP Story'/><ref name='Christian Science Monitor'/> A bottle of water normally cost 1 [[Chinese yuan|yuan]], but on the highway it was sold for 15 yuan. Drivers also complained that the price of instant noodles had more than tripled.<ref name='CTV'>{{cite news | title = China's massive traffic jam could last for weeks | date = 24 August 2010 | publisher = CTV | url = https://www.ctvnews.ca/china-s-massive-traffic-jam-could-last-for-weeks-1.545562 | access-date = 25 August 2010  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100828022758/http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/World/20100824/china-traffic-jam-100824/ |archive-date=28 August 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> Some vendors created mobile stores on bicycles.<ref name='CTV'/>
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.<ref name='CTV'/>
By 26 August 2010, the traffic jam had largely dissipated, reportedly due to the efforts of authorities.<ref name="csm"/> Between Beijing and Inner Mongolia, only minor traffic slowdowns were reported near toll booths.<ref name="csm">{{cite web|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2010/0826/China-traffic-jam-vanishes-overnight |title=China traffic jam vanishes overnight? |access-date=25 March 2011 |date=26 August 2011 |publisher=The Christian Science Monitor |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110120122029/http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2010/0826/China-traffic-jam-vanishes-overnight |archive-date=20 January 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==References==
{{Portal|China}}
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2010/0826/China-traffic-jam-vanishes-overnight/ China Traffic Jam Vanishes Overnight]
*[http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2010/09/record-140-traffic-jams-hit-beijing-in-single-evening/ Beijing Embraces Car-Free Day in Traffic Jams | China Digital Times (CDT)]
{{coord missing|China}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:China National Highway 110 Traffic Jam}}
[[Category:2010 in China]]
[[Category:2010 road incidents in Asia]]
[[Category:Road transport in China]]
[[Category:Road traffic management]]
[[Category:Road incidents in China]]
[[Category:August 2010 events in China]]