Traffic jams and road congestion is something that everybody has to deal with at some point in their life. Whether you are making the school trip to drop off the kids, doing some shopping, travelling or simply trying to commute to work, busy roads can be incredibly frustrating. Sitting in your car and moving along as a snail’s pace is something that nobody enjoys.
However, over the past decade or so the problem has grown much worse. A bigger distribution of wealth and cheaper cars mean that more people can afford to own a vehicle and with roads rarely being expanded or improved, they can’t keep up with the growth. The problem is even worse in developing countries where until a few years ago, only the very wealthy could afford to drive. Coupled with occasional treacherous storm or natural disaster, this has led to some truly incredible traffic jams that have caused more than a slight delay.
5. Sao Paulo, Brazil – 12 Hours
Sao Paulo is well known for its traffic jams. In fact, it is not uncommon for those travelling by road to have to sit in traffic jams lasting up to four hours every single day. This is largely down to the rapidly growing population and wealth that has far overtaken the government’s ability to expand roads. In 2009, the problem became so bad that traffic jams extended for up to 182 miles.
4. Chicago, Illinois – 12 Hours
4. Chicago, Illinois – 12 Hours
With heavy snow falling in Chicago during the day of February 1, 2011, those trying to travel on Lake Shore Drive were essentially snowed in. More than 20 inches fell in just a few hours, leaving cars buried up to their windshields and stopping cars, trucks and motorcycles in their tracks for almost 12 hours.
3. Interstate 45, Texas – 48 Hours
3. Interstate 45, Texas – 48 Hours
When Hurricane Rita began to approach Houston, residents were quickly ordered to evacuate their homes and move to other parts of the state. This led to some 2.5 million people attempt to use Interstate 45 on September 21, 2005 and caused the highway to become blocked for some 48 hours, with some cars unable to move for an entire day.
2. Bethel, New York – 3 Daysp
2. Bethel, New York – 3 Daysp
With the Woodstock Music & Arts Festival about to open in New York, the Thruway became clogged when more than 500,000 people tried to get to the festival between August 15-18. Vehicles couldn’t move for an incredible 20 miles leading many to simply abandon their cars and walk to the event, something that only made matters worse. Things got so bad that the performers had to be flown in via helicopter as they couldn’t reach the farm by road.
1. Beijing, China – 12 Days
1. Beijing, China – 12 Days
In August 2010, the Beijing-Tibet expressways became so backed up that the traffic effectively came to a standstill for more than 62 miles. There wasn’t any particular cause for the huge delays, with officials stating that there were simply too many vehicles trying to use the limited amount of road. It took 12 days for all of the traffic to eventually clear.
