City-dwellers head home to their native towns and villages during Golden Week, a seven-day break from work that kicked off on October 1. Once the holiday is over, however, they all need to get back to their jobs. Many made the trip by driving. It didn't help that the 50 lane highway – that's right, 50 lanes – was reduced to a mere 20 and further bottle-necked by a new tollbooth.
Half the population of China traveled during Golden Week, according to the Telegraph. That's a mind-boggling 750 million people on the move. Not surprisingly, all forms of transportation were backed up. Trains were overstuffed, airports were impossible to navigate, and even the widest freeways become parking lots.
The Beijing-Hong Kong-Macau Expressway, also known as the Jinggang'ao Expressway, is a cross-country route spanning 1,412.16 miles and runs north to south. It's the most popular route for people heading home before and after the holidays.
China is quickly becoming known for its massive traffic jams. A study released last year by TomTom found the average Chinese driver spends the equivalent of nine days a year stuck in traffic.
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