THE WORLD'S LONGEST TRAFFIC JAM TOOK PLACE IN BEIJING, CHINA. IT WAS OVER 60 MILES LONG AND LASTED 11 DAYS

BEIJING, China -- Thousands of motorists have been caught up in a 60-mile, 11-day tailback on the National Expressway 110 between the capital Beijing and Inner Mongolia - setting the new world record for the Longest traffic jam.


The World's Longest traffic jam, was caused by a flood of cargo-bearing heavy trucks and compounded by road work. Traffic officials had estimated the Longest traffic jam in the World would last until mid-September.

While many motorists took detours, some ended up trapped for up to five days, sleeping in their cars and taking shifts behind the wheel.

Others played cards to pass the time and chatted by the roadside as 400 police were drafted in to ensure the communal road rage was kept in check.

And local traders made the most of the situation by setting up stalls and roaming from lorry to lorry selling their wares at exorbitant prices.

A publicity officer with the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau blamed insufficient capacity as a result of the roadworks for the delays.

Construction was ordered on the National Expressway, which travels from Beijing to Huai'an in Heibei Province, and on to Jining in Inner Mongolia, because of damage done by lorries.